McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team is set to compete against Wheaton College in the CCIW semifinals on Wednesday, November 1. The match will take place at Joe Bean Stadium with a kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

The Titans advanced to the semifinals after a dramatic quarterfinal victory over North Park. The game ended in a penalty shootout, which the Titans won 7-6. Senior CJ Rodriguez scored a crucial goal in the final minutes of regular time, assisted by fellow senior Sasha Tylnyy, tying the game at 1-1. After both teams scored again during overtime, sophomore Sam Kedzior's performance was pivotal as he made four saves and faced six penalty kicks.

Illinois Wesleyan enters this match with a record of 5-6-4 overall and 3-3-2 in conference play. Their opponents, Wheaton College Thunder, hold an 11-5-1 record and are 6-1-1 in conference games. Wheaton had a bye last Saturday due to their second-seed status.

The two teams have met previously this season when Wheaton secured a narrow 1-nil victory over Illinois Wesleyan in September. Historically, they have faced each other since 1988 but only twice before in CCIW tournaments, with Wheaton winning both encounters.

The winner of this semifinal will advance to the CCIW Championships on Saturday, November 4, where they will face either North Central or Carthage.