The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team secured its fourth consecutive victory by defeating the University of Dubuque 16-11 at Tucci Stadium on Wednesday night. This win improved IWU's season record to 6-4, while UD's record fell to 6-5.
Seniors Gage Black and Ike Eastburn, along with sophomore Noah Dretzka, led a balanced offensive effort for the Titans. Black recorded six points with four goals and two assists, tying Eastburn for the team lead in goals. Dretzka contributed two goals and three assists, with six other players also scoring points.
On defense, senior Michael Campagna forced five turnovers and collected seven ground balls, matching senior Zo Lombardo's tally. Lombardo achieved a 15-of-27 success rate at face-offs. Junior Colin Tervo made nine saves during the game.
IWU took an early lead in the second quarter with goals from Black and Eastburn but saw their advantage narrow as UD scored twice to bring the score to 4-3. Sophomore Kaden Gammelgaard extended IWU's lead before Dubuque responded again.
Dretzka assisted Eastburn for a goal late in the first half, sparking a scoring run that included contributions from Black and Dretzka himself, pushing IWU ahead 9-4 by halftime.
The Spartans opened the second half with a goal but were countered by Sam Weinberg's long-distance shot that restored IWU's four-goal cushion. Following penalties against UD, Dretzka and Black combined once more to extend IWU’s lead further.
Junior Jake Gisi capitalized on a loose ball opportunity to increase the margin to 12-6 late in the third quarter. Senior Trystan Seeley added another goal before Dubuque scored just before the buzzer ended the period with IWU leading 13-7.
In the final quarter, junior Nick Horrocks helped stretch IWU’s lead to eight before Dubuque managed three late goals, concluding the match at 16-11 in favor of Illinois Wesleyan.
The Titans will host Augustana College this Saturday for their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin opener at Tucci Stadium as part of their annual St. Jude weekend event. The day will feature various activities including raffles and merchandise sales across multiple sports events.
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