BLOOMINGTON, Ill. - A crucial College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin contest is on deck for the Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team's regular season finale Saturday, April 25. The Titans (10-5, 3-1 CCIW) will make the trip to Elmhurst University for a 3 p.m. battle with the Bluejays (12-3, 4-0 CCIW) and will serve as the second portion of a twin bill with the women's lacrosse team.

Illinois Wesleyan enters the bout off a 26-0 shutout victory over Augustana College Wednesday night, April 22. It marked the second shutout in program history and the first since the Titans downed University of Dallas, 22-0, April 16, 2015. Junior Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) led the team with nine points on four goals and a team-high five assists. Freshman Brody Jones (Boring, Ore.-West Linn) tallied a team-high five goals. Sophomore Jake Sline (Homewood, Ill.-Homewood-Flossmoor) scooped up a team-best 10 ground balls, shattering his previous career-high of four. A trio of Titans led the defense with two caused turnovers apiece, while all four goalkeepers saw time between the pipes to help secure the shutout. 

Timothy McHugh leads the IWU offense with 63 points on the season, composed of 33 goals and 30 assists, both also sitting at team-highs. Junior Jake Kahoun (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Worthington) is second on the squad with 29 points, aided by 24 goals, the second-most on the team. Sophomore Owen Miller (Brookfield, Wis.-Brookfield Central) ranks third with 27 points. Freshman Holden Webster's (Centennial, Colo.-Arapahoe) 20 goals place him third on the team. With 17 assists, sophomore Charlie Burghardt (Milwaukee, Wis.-Brookfield Central) sits behind Timothy McHugh, while junior Nate Pound (Theinsville, Wis.-Homestead) rounds out the top-three helpers with nine assists on the season.

Senior Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) tops the team with 57 ground balls and has been the leader at the X with a 124-of-210 showing, good for a .590 win percentage. Senior Karsten Nordlie (Roscoe, Ill.-Hononegah Community) closely trails with 55 ground balls, and sophomore Jaymeson Zackery (Saint Paul, Minn.-Eastview) is third with 53. Together, the trio leads a team ranked 18th nationally in ground balls (639) and 16th in ground balls per game (42.60). 

Defensively, the Titans rank second nationally in caused turnovers per game, averaging 15.27. Senior Billy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) leads the team with 35 caused turnovers, while his average of 2.54 sits 29th in Division III. Nordlie and fellow senior Kaden Gammelgaard (Lake Zurich, Ill.-Lake Zurich) are tied for second with 20 forced miscues apiece. 

In goal for the Green and White, Zackery sits atop the team with 138 saves across 723:13 minutes in goal. He brings in a record of 10-5 and a .535 save percentage into the weekend. Senior Sam Scott (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Worthington) has added 29 saves across 131:47 minutes between the pipes. 

IWU and EU will meet for the 17th time, with the Titans holding a 15-1 edge in the series. Most recently, Illinois Wesleyan downed Elmhurst, 16-13, in the CCIW Tournament Championship May 3, 2025, for its third straight title and seventh overall. Kahoun and then-junior Noah Dretzka (Delafield, Wis.-Kettle Moraine) led the offense with four points apiece. Kahoun topped the team with three goals, while Dretzka tallied a team-best two assists. Elmhurst comes in off a 17-9 win over Carthage College Wednesday night, April 22. A win for the Titans would grant them a share of the CCIW Regular Season Championship, while a win for the Bluejays would give EU sole possession of the trophy.

A live stream of the game can be found here, while live stats can be followed by clicking here. Tickets will need to be purchased to attend the game, and a link to the online system can be found here.