McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team is preparing for an away match against Augustana University on Wednesday, October 8. The contest is part of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). IWU holds an overall record of 8-2-2 this season and remains unbeaten on the road with a 4-0-1 record. Currently, the Titans are tied for third place in the conference standings with six points and a 2-1 conference record. The match will take place at Thorson-Lucken Field in Rock Island, Illinois, starting at 7 p.m.

In their most recent game on Saturday, October 11, Illinois Wesleyan secured a 2-1 comeback victory over North Park University. Junior Faheem Mujahid scored the winning goal in the 84th minute. Another junior, Matthew Perchik, contributed to the score sheet in the 56th minute after connecting with Mujahid’s header and beating the goalkeeper.

Juniors Ryder Coleman and sophomore Ben Lyons have been leading contributors to IWU’s offense this season. Coleman ranks fifth in conference goals with two while Lyons leads the team with five goals. Both players have accumulated twelve points each so far.

Senior goalkeeper Sam Kedzior has maintained a strong defensive presence for Illinois Wesleyan. His goals-against average stands at 1.02, which is among the best in the conference. Kedzior also ranks second in shutouts (three) and save percentage (.793), having stopped thirteen out of seventeen shots faced last week.

Augustana enters Wednesday's matchup with a conference record of 1-2-1 and an overall mark of 3-5-3. Freshman Javi Landen leads Augustana with eight points and four assists—his assist total is currently best in the CCIW. In goal, freshman William Gabrielsson has recorded sixty saves but allowed twenty goals for a .750 save percentage.

Historically, Illinois Wesleyan and Augustana have met forty times since their first encounter in 1987; each side has eighteen wins and three draws overall. IWU has had success recently by winning thirteen out of fourteen matches against Augustana since 2011. Last year’s meeting saw Illinois Wesleyan win by one goal from a free kick taken by Mush Bakirdan.

Fans can watch Wednesday's match online or follow live statistics during the game. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. in Rock Island.