McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team is preparing for a significant away match against North Central College on Wednesday, October 22. The Titans are currently on a three-game winning streak and hold a 10-2-2 record overall, with 12 points in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) thanks to their 4-1 conference record. The game will take place at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium at 7:30 p.m.

In their most recent outing, Illinois Wesleyan secured a 3-0 victory over Elmhurst University on Saturday, October 18. The Titans took 37 shots during the match, with 11 on target and three resulting in goals. Sophomore Ben Lyons and junior Matthew Perchik each scored, adding to their season totals. Lyons leads the team with six goals and 14 points this season, while Perchik has five goals and 12 points. Junior Ryder Coleman is second in points for the team with four goals, five assists, and 13 total points. Freshman Hunter Reinberg contributed two goals and an assist over the past two games.

Senior goalkeeper Sam Kedzior has been a key player for the Titans this season. He leads the CCIW with a goals-against average of 1.015. Kedzior also ranks second in save percentage at .794 and has recorded two shutouts so far.

North Central College enters the match with a record of 7-1-6 overall and is unbeaten in league play at 3-0-2. At home, North Central holds a record of 4-0-3, which includes a win over then-ranked No. 23 Illinois Institute of Technology. Freshman forward Joseph Sargent leads North Central’s offense; he is tied for first in the CCIW with twelve goals this season—including three matches where he scored twice—and has one assist for a total of twenty-five points. The Cardinals have used three different goalkeepers throughout the year: freshman Vincent Stanislao started the last two games, while sophomores Daniel Szalai (who leads in minutes played) and Lucas Visser have also seen time in net.

The rivalry between Illinois Wesleyan and North Central began in 1986, with North Central leading the all-time series by a margin of twenty-one wins to fourteen, along with five draws. Illinois Wesleyan has lost its last five matches against North Central; their most recent win came on October 9, 2019.

Illinois Wesleyan will put its unbeaten road record (6-0-1) on the line when it faces North Central in Naperville at 7:30 p.m.