McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team claimed the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Tournament Championship with a dramatic overtime victory against Elmhurst University. The Titans, who now hold a 13-3 record, secured their spot in the NCAA Tournament for the second consecutive year with this win.

The match, held at Tucci Stadium in Bloomington, saw senior Gage Black score the decisive goal in sudden-victory overtime. Elmhurst initially took the lead, but Illinois Wesleyan responded with four consecutive goals. A fifth goal was added through an own goal by Elmhurst during a clearing attempt.

Illinois Wesleyan's first goal came from freshman Timothy McHugh, assisted by Black. Sophomore Noah Dretzka contributed significantly with one goal and four assists throughout the game. He set up freshman Jake Kahoun and junior Sam Wienberg for back-to-back goals to establish a 4-1 lead.

Elmhurst narrowed the gap with two goals but ended the first period trailing 5-3. They managed to tie the game at halftime with both teams scoring seven goals each.

In the third quarter, Elmhurst capitalized on a penalty to take the lead briefly before Trystan Seeley equalized for Illinois Wesleyan. Junior John Kittoe then scored just before the shot clock expired to give his team a 9-8 advantage heading into the final quarter.

Elmhurst tied it again early in the fourth quarter, but Seeley restored Illinois Wesleyan's lead after receiving a pass from Dretzka. Despite further pressure from Elmhurst, including tying and taking an 11-10 lead late in regulation, Black scored again to force overtime.

During overtime, junior Sam Skelton caused a crucial turnover that allowed Dretzka to recover possession. Following a timeout called by Head Coach Zach Iannucci, McHugh passed to Black for his game-winning goal.

Dretzka led all scorers with five points while Black added four points through three goals and an assist. McHugh and Seeley also made notable contributions with three points each.

Defensively, Michael Campagna led with six ground balls and shared top honors in caused turnovers alongside Skelton. Senior Ethan Hart was recognized as well for his defensive efforts.

Despite challenges at face-offs where Elmhurst had an edge over senior Zo Lombardo and junior Nick Schroeder, goalie Colin Tervo made 18 saves on a .621 save percentage securing his team's victory.

The Titans' triumph guarantees them entry into the NCAA Tournament as they await their next opponent announcement scheduled for May 5 at 9 p.m. ET on NCAA.com.