McLean County Times

Illinois Wesleyan University's women's soccer team is preparing for a match against North Park University in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin. The game will take place at 5 p.m. in Chicago, marking the first of a doubleheader event at Holmgren Athletic Complex.

The Titans, currently holding a 3-7-1 overall record and 1-1 in conference play, recently secured their first league victory against Wheaton College with a 3-0 win. Freshman Liza Wiley led the team with two goals, assisted by fellow freshman Keira Robinson and junior Sammie Shanks. Additionally, Shanks and senior Tegan Timerman provided assists to junior Bree Cordray for an early goal in the sixth minute.

Freshman goalkeeper Grace Kiewiet was instrumental in the team's defense, making eight saves to ensure Wheaton's second scoreless game of the season. Kiewiet ranks second in the conference with an average of 6.50 saves per game and holds a .800 save percentage, placing her third overall.

Wiley is leading the Titans with 19 points this season, ranking fourth in points per game within the conference. Her nine goals place her 39th nationally, while her average of 0.82 goals per game positions her among the top-50 players nationwide.

North Park University enters Saturday's match still seeking its first conference win, carrying a record of 4-6-1 overall and 0-2-1 in CCIW play. They recently experienced a narrow defeat against Elmhurst University with a scoreline of 1-0.

Historically, Illinois Wesleyan has dominated North Park since their first encounter in 1994, boasting a series lead of 27 wins to three losses and maintaining a current streak of 24 consecutive victories over North Park. Last year, IWU won their matchup with NPU by shutting them out with a score of 1-0 on October 14.

Fans can access live streaming and stats for this weekend's contest through the women's soccer schedule page on iwusports.com.