McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team is preparing for its first-ever appearance in the NCAA tournament. The Titans will face the University of Chicago Maroons in the opening round on Saturday, November 11, at Stagg Field in Chicago. A victory would mark Illinois Wesleyan's first NCAA match win and advance them to the second round against either Ohio Wesleyan or Rose-Hulman.

The Titans enter the contest with a record of 6-6-5, having gone 3-2-2 in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). Their opponents, the Maroons, finished their regular season with a 9-2-5 record and were 4-1-2 in the University Athletic Association.

Illinois Wesleyan players Brody Seaton and Sam Kedzior received all-conference accolades this season. Seaton, a senior center midfielder from Dunlap, Illinois, was recognized for his contributions in key matches against North Park and Millikin. Kedzior, a sophomore goalkeeper from Cary, Illinois, earned recognition as well after being named CCIW Defensive Player of the Week three times this season.

This year's Titans are making history as they become the first team in program history to win a conference title and secure an NCAA tournament spot. Under head coach Kyle Shauls, they had previously reached the conference tournament four times but only made one championship game appearance in 2019.

Team captains include Seaton along with senior Ryan Miller from Shingle Springs, California; juniors Justin Hart from Morton, Illinois; and Ethan Fineman from Highland Park, Illinois. These leaders have played pivotal roles both on and off the field.

The Titans' journey to this point involved overcoming challenges throughout their season. After an early lead followed by a losing streak, they secured their place in the conference tournament with critical wins over North Park University and Wheaton College through penalty kicks. In their conference championship game against Carthage College, they came back from a two-goal deficit to win 3-2 thanks to goals by Miller, Mush Bakirdan from Morton, Illinois; and Seaton.