McLean County Times

The Illinois Wesleyan University men's soccer team is set to host North Central College in the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament Semifinals. The match will take place at Neis Field on Wednesday, November 5, with kickoff scheduled for 7 p.m.

Illinois Wesleyan enters the postseason as the No. 2 seed, holding an 11-2-4 overall record and a 5-1-2 mark in conference play. This season marks the first time since 2018 that the program has achieved double-digit wins. The Titans are also one victory away from matching their all-time single-season wins record, which was set in 1995 with a 12-6 finish.

Three Titans were recognized by the league office on October 31 with All-CCIW honors. Junior Ryder Coleman earned a spot on the first team, while senior co-captain Jerry Smazil and senior goalkeeper Sam Kedzior were named to the second team.

In their final regular season game on October 29, Illinois Wesleyan secured a 2-1 win over Millikin University. Ryder Coleman scored twice, and Sam Kedzior made ten saves during the match.

Coleman leads the team's offense with six goals and six assists for a total of 18 points this season. Freshman Hunter Reinberg and junior Matthew Perchik have contributed two goals each during conference play.

Defensively, Illinois Wesleyan has limited opponents to one or fewer goals in each of its last six matches. Senior defenders Kalabi Kamau and Nick McCully have played key roles alongside goalkeeper Kedzior, who has recorded a career-best goals against average of 0.98, an .812 save percentage, four shutouts, and 69 saves this year.

Illinois Wesleyan and North Central last faced each other on October 22 in Naperville, ending in a 1-1 draw. Joey Rodino scored early for Illinois Wesleyan before Joseph Sargent equalized for North Central later in the first half.

Historically, North Central holds a slight advantage in the matchup with a record of 21 wins, 14 losses, and six draws against Illinois Wesleyan. The teams have met twice previously in postseason play: North Central advanced in their most recent tournament meeting in 2021 with a 2-1 win; Illinois Wesleyan won after penalty kicks following overtime in their previous encounter in 2019.

The semifinal match can be followed via live stats or through a live stream provided by Illinois Wesleyan University.