McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team is set to host Eureka College in a rescheduled match on Wednesday, September 24 at Neis Field. The game was originally planned for September 3 but was postponed due to inclement weather.

Illinois Wesleyan enters the contest with a record of 4-1-2 after experiencing its first loss of the season last week. Sophomore Ben Lyons has been a key contributor, scoring the Titans' only goal across two matches last week and bringing his season total to five goals and twelve points. His most recent goal, an acrobatic scissor kick against Illinois College, marked a career high.

Injuries among the starting lineup have provided opportunities for freshman Hunter Reinberg and sophomore transfer Byle Brickman. Reinberg has started four games and registered a shot on goal, while Brickman has started twice and recorded his first point as a Titan with an assist in the Illinois College match.

As they approach their final week of non-conference play, Illinois Wesleyan leads the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) in goals scored with fifteen. The team's forty-two total points rank second in the conference, and they are third in assists per game at 1.71.

On defense, senior captain Nick McCully, senior Kalabi Kamau, and junior Jackson Coleman have limited opponents’ scoring opportunities. The team has allowed one goal or fewer in each of its last four matches. Senior goalkeeper Sam Kedzior ranks second in the CCIW with one shutout and holds third place for both goals against average (1.028) and save percentage (.750).

Eureka College arrives with a record of 4-4-1 overall but remains winless away from home at 0-2-0. Senior transfer Joyce Kabesa leads Eureka’s offense with ten goals this season—ranking thirteenth nationally—and notched a hat trick during their opening match against Kuyper. Eureka recently lost to Ripon by a score of 2-1 on September 22 but claimed its latest victory over Maranatha Baptist on September 16.

The two schools are located just twenty-five miles apart but have played only once before—a meeting that ended with Illinois Wesleyan winning 1-0 thanks to then-freshman Elsworth McIntosh's decisive goal on September 5 last year.

Kickoff is scheduled for 5 p.m., with live streaming and statistics available through iwusports.com.