McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's lacrosse team began their College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) season with a decisive victory over Augustana College. The Titans, holding a 7-3 overall record and 1-0 in the CCIW, defeated the Vikings 23-3 at Tucci Stadium on April 6.

Fourteen players contributed to the Titans' scoring effort. Seniors Ike Eastburn from Colorado Springs, Gage Black from Peoria, and sophomore Andrew Ortega from Austin each recorded four points. Eastburn scored all his points through goals, while Ortega added three assists to his tally.

Senior Zo Lombardo led faceoff wins with a 10-for-13 record. Sophomore Michael Rocco had six ground balls and went 8-for-12 in faceoffs. Junior Sam Skelton achieved three caused turnovers for the team.

Junior Colin Tervo was credited with the win after playing the first quarter without conceding any goals and making one save. Senior Alex Oximana played over 25 minutes in goal with eight saves, while sophomore Sam Scott made five saves during his time on the field.

In an explosive first quarter, IWU scored 11 unanswered goals. Black initiated scoring within 40 seconds of play, followed by back-to-back goals from Eastburn assisted by freshman Timothy McHugh. By halftime, IWU led 14-1.

The third quarter saw Augustana score twice before IWU extended their lead again with contributions from seniors Logan Gelling and Brendan Baumgarten among others. The final quarter featured five more goals for IWU to seal their dominant win.

IWU will next face North Central College in Naperville on April 10 at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium at 7 p.m.