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2026 Men's Lacrosse Seniors
Kodiak Creative
12
Winner Carthage CARTHAGE 8-7, 3-0
9
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 9-3, 2-1
Winner
Carthage CARTHAGE
8-7, 3-0
12
Final
9
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
9-3, 2-1
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Carthage CARTHAGE 0 1 7 4 12
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4 2 1 2 9

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Drops Contest with Carthage on Senior Day

Titans CCIW win streak snapped at 41

BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team saw its Senior Day spoiled by Carthage College Saturday afternoon, April 18, falling 12-9. The loss snaps the Green and White's College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin win streak at 41 games, as its last regular season CCIW loss occurred April 8, 2017, also to the Firebirds. 

Prior to the start of the game, the Titans honored seniors Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville), Cole Kennedy (Walnut Creek, Calif.-De La Salle), Noah Dretzka (Delafield, Wis.-Kettle Moraine), Kaden Gammelgaard (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Lake Zurich), Mitchell Breza (Victoria, Minn.-Chanhassen), Sam Scott (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Worthington), Karsten Nordlie (Roscoe, Ill.-Hononegah Community), Andres Morales-Gomez (Round Lake Beach, Ill.-Grayslake North), Billy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel), and Kade Miers (Cincinnati, Ohio-St. Xavier).

Junior Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) led the team with four points on three goals and an assist. Dretzka and sophomore Owen Miller (Brookfield, Wis.-Brookfield Central) totaled three points apiece. Miller's three all came on goals, while Dretzka notched one goal and a team-best two assists. 

Rocco turned in a strong 11-for-14 showing at the X, adding a team-high seven ground balls, one shy of his career-best. Billy McHugh and Scott each followed closely behind with six. The mark tied Billy McHugh's personal-best, while Scott doubled his previous mark. Billy McHugh led the defense with six caused turnovers, the most he has recorded in a game in his career. 

Scott got the start in goal, tallying a career-high 16 saves over 45 minutes. Sophomore Jaymeson Zackery (Saint Paul, Minn.-Eastview) was tagged with the loss, making a save over the final 15 minutes between the pipes. 

The first quarter was all Illinois Wesleyan, as the Green and White jumped out to a 4-0 lead. Timothy McHugh sent a pass to Miller for the first goal of the game, putting the Titans on the board at 10:24. Rocco won the faceoff to keep possession with the home team. After a shot by Gammelgaard went wide, Dretzka found junior Nate Pound (Theinsville, Wis.-Homestead) waiting at the crease. Pound buried the point-blank shot to put IWU up a pair with 9:48 on the clock.

Scott came up with a save to get the Titans in transition. After quickly clearing the ball, Timothy McHugh carved up the Carthage defense and made it 3-0. Nordlie hit Miller with a pass to close out to make it 4-0, and a CC penalty in the final few seconds gave Illinois Wesleyan the ball with a man-up opportunity. 

Sophomore Jake Sline (Homewood, Ill.-Homewood-Flossmoor) got IWU the ball with a caused turnover, and Timothy McHugh made the Firebirds pay, as he drove parallel to the crease and scooted past his defender for an easy goal. The score made it 5-0 in favor of the home team with 11:38 to play in the second period.

Carthage finally got on the board with a goal, making it 5-1 with 8:02 remaining in the opening half. After a shot by freshman Tyce Baldwin (Aurora, Colo.-Grandview) was saved, Timothy McHugh scooped up the rebound and scored to push the gap back to five, 6-1, with just over two minutes to play in the period. 

Carthage regained possession with time dwindling and the Firebirds used a timeout with 13 seconds. After setting up its offense, Billy McHugh spoiled any plans of scoring with a turnover, sending IWU into halftime with a 6-1 lead into halftime.

The Firebirds flew out of the break with three straight goals to get back in the game, making it 6-4 with 12:11 left in the third. Miller downed a dish from Dretzka to end the run, making it a three-score game at the 11:33 mark. 

Four straight goals from Carthage closed out the third period with the visitors ahead, 8-7.

Opening the fourth needing a score, Billy McHugh came through with a clutch turnover to get the Green and White the ball. Dretzka drove straight through the defense, tying the game at eight goals apiece with 13:30 left on the clock. 

Using an IWU miscue to its advantage, Carthage jumped back out in front with a goal, taking a 9-8 lead. After a Rocco faceoff win gave the home team possession, Timothy McHugh found sophomore Wyatt Hart (Littleton, Colo.-Valor Christian) entering the offensive zone, and the long pole uncorned on a shot, tying the game at nine with 12:37 to play. 

The Titans could not keep momentum, as three straight Firebird goals ended the streak for IWU, falling 12-9. 

Illinois Wesleyan will conclude the regular season on the road, beginning with a 4 p.m. bout at Augustana College Wednesday, April 22.
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