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IWU Men's Lacrosse defeats North Central College, April 4, 2026
A Peterson Photo
12
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 10-6, 3-2
16
Winner Elmhurst ELM 13-3, 5-0
Ill. Wesleyan IWU
10-6, 3-2
12
Final
16
Elmhurst ELM
13-3, 5-0
Winner
Score By Periods
Team 1 2 3 4 F
Ill. Wesleyan IWU 4 3 2 3 12
Elmhurst ELM 7 4 1 4 16

Game Recap: Men's Lacrosse |

Men’s Lacrosse Edged at Elmhurst

Titans enter CCIW Tournament as the No. 3 seed

ELMHURST, Ill. - The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team's comeback was thwarted Saturday, April 25, at Langhorst Field as the Titans fell at Elmhurst University, 16-12, in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin regular season finale. The Green and White (10-6, 3-2) locked up the No. 3 seed in the CCIW Tournament. The Bluejays (13-3, 5-0) clinched the CCIW Regular Season title with the win, earning the No. 1 seed.

Senior Noah Dretzka (Delafield, Wis.-Kettle Moraine) led the offensive efforts with four goals and two assists for a team-high six points. Junior Timothy McHugh (Orland Park, Ill.-Mount Carmel) led in helpers with three, while freshmen Brody Jones (Boring, Ore.-West Linn) and Holden Webster (Centennial, Colo.-Arapahoe) each net two goals. 

Senior Michael Rocco (Libertyville, Ill.-Libertyville) and sophomore Jaymeson Zackery (Saint Paul, Minn.-Eastview) led the team with three ground balls apiece. Spending 60 minutes in goal, Zackery posted 10 saves.

The Titans and Bluejays traded goals to start the game, as Webster and junior Jake Kahoun (Worthington, Ohio-Thomas Worthington) scored goals to tie the game at two apiece. Dretzka found the back of the net on a pass from classmate Cole Kennedy (Walnut Creek, Calif.-De La Salle) to give IWU its only lead of the game, 3-2, with 8:20 remaining in the first period. 

Dretzka scored once again to end the first quarter to get the Green and White within two, 6-4, but EU's Eli Spence responded under a minute later to extend the Bluejay's lead to 7-4 headed into quarter two. 

The Bluejays extended their lead to as many as six, 11-5, before the Titans mounted a mini comeback to gain momentum headed into the break. The Green and White defense held Elmhurst scoreless over the final six minutes of the second period. Sophomore Owen Miller (Brookfield, Wis.-Brookfield Central) buried a goal before two Elmhurst penalties gave the Titans a golden opportunity with 3:59 remaining. Sophomore Jack Vander Kooi (Buffalo, Minn.-Buffalo) caught a pass from Timothy McHugh and proceeded to whip it past the EU goalie for his sixth goal of the season. 

The Titans continued the offensive momentum into the beginning of the second half. Following a missed shot, the Green and White stayed on the offensive end. Dretzka picked up the rebound and passed to junior Nate Pound (Theinsville, Wis.-Homestead) for the score. Moments later, Timothy McHugh found Jones to get IWU within two, 11-9, on four consecutive Titan goals. 

EU scored just once late in the third quarter to take a 12-9 lead into the final period, but the Titans continued to fight in the fourth quarter. Dretzka and Webster got the Titans within one, 12-11, but four goals down the stretch from the Bluejays put the Titans away and clinched EU the CCIW Regular Season title. 

The Titans wrapped up the No. 3 seed in next week's CCIW Tournament and look to avenge a regular season loss at No. 2 seeded Carthage College Wednesday, April 29 for a semifinal matchup. Game time will be announced in the coming days.
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