Illinois Wesleyan men’s and women’s soccer travelled to Wheaton, Ill. to face off against the Wheaton College Thunder on Saturday, October 9. After a tough fight, the women’s team took their first loss of the conference season with 2-1. The men’s team pulled out a victory, dropping the Thunder 3-2.
The women’s team took their first conference loss of the 2021 season in a faceoff against Wheaton College on Saturday, October 9. This loss dropped the Titans to 2-1 in conference competition and brought the Thunder up to 4-0.
The Thunder stormed onto the field early, finding the Titan net only three minutes into the game. Wheaton widened their lead moments later, bringing the score to 2-0 in the first half.
Senior goalkeeper Maria Fields made two saves for the Titans, fighting to keep the Thunder away from the net. IWU remained scoreless for the first half after being outshot 4-1 shots on goal.
The Titans entered the second half ready to make up unanswered points. Senior Izzy Mitra scored for the Titans with the assistance of senior Caelyn Steffens with ten minutes to spare.
The goal narrowed the Thunder’s lead but did not make up for the first quarter. The women’s team ended the match 2-1.
The men’s soccer team took on the Thunder with a slow start before bringing home a 3-2 victory against their CCIW competitor.
Freshman goalkeeper Ethan Fineman made his collegiate debut as a starter with one save for the Titans in the first half. IWU outshot Wheaton 8-5 (4-1 on goal), but the first half ended with no points on either side.
The second half proved to be an intense back-and-forth between the Titans and the Thunder. Senior Donovan Malone made it into Thunder territory with the help of senior Zack Kokes. This goal brought the score to 1-0.
With thirty minutes left on the clock, the Titans took another opportunity to score. Sophomore Gavin Smith took advantage of a corner kick and sent it into the box. Senior Tevor Martin headed the ball into the net, giving the Titans a 2-0 lead.
Wheaton managed to even up the scores with two penalty kicks. Heading into overtime, the Titans and the Thunder stood at 2-2.
Junior Dane Hoare brought home victory for IWU after just five minutes of overtime. Hoare’s game-winning shot marked the second goal of his collegiate career and of the season. The Titans returned to Bloomington with a 3-2 victory.
Both women’s and men’s soccer took on North Central College on Wednesday, October 13 in Naperville, Ill. They will next face off against Augustana at 1:00 and 3:30 respectively.