McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team is set to conclude its regular season with a home game against Millikin University on Wednesday, October 29 at Neis Field. The Titans currently occupy third place in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) with 14 points. They have an opportunity to move up to second place if they win and North Central College loses or ties against Wheaton College.

Illinois Wesleyan enters the match with a 10-2-4 overall record and a 4-1-2 mark in conference play. On their home field, the Titans are 4-2-1 this season. In their previous game, Illinois Wesleyan drew 1-1 on the road at Carroll University, with both teams recording only four shots on goal combined.

Senior goalkeeper Sam Kedzior leads the IWU defense, which has limited opponents to one goal or fewer in each of its last five matches. Kedzior has recorded 59 saves this year and holds a league-best goals against average of .980. Offensively, Illinois Wesleyan has scored 35 goals this season, tying for the most in the CCIW. Juniors Ryder Coleman and Matthew Perchik, along with freshman Hunter Reinberg, are key contributors. Coleman leads the team in conference points with seven; Perchik follows with five points, as does Reinberg.

Millikin University is seventh in the CCIW and needs a win plus help from Carthage College to secure a spot in the conference tournament. The Big Blue hold an overall record of 6-9-1 and are 2-4-1 within the conference. Millikin comes into the match after a 4-1 win over Augustana College on October 25. Junior Bryce Davis leads Millikin’s offense with nine goals and one assist for a total of 19 points. Four different goalkeepers have played for Millikin this year; senior Chase Mandra has seen most of the action, allowing 33 goals and making 70 saves.

Over their history, Millikin holds a narrow advantage over Illinois Wesleyan in head-to-head matchups with a record of 22 wins, 21 losses, and two draws. Last year’s meeting saw Millikin win 3-2 in Decatur; before that result, IWU had won four straight games against their rival.

Kickoff for Wednesday’s game is scheduled for 7 p.m. at Neis Field.