The Illinois Wesleyan University men’s soccer team is heading back to the CCIW postseason. The Titans clinched the 2 seed for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin postseason after defeating Millikin University at Neis Field on Oct. 29, 2025.
Millikin game recap:
The Titans started the game hot, with close shots from senior Jerry Smazil, but stayed locked at nil-nil with Millikin after 15 minutes.
A throw-in near midfield sent junior Faheem Mujahid down the sideline, threatening the Big Blue. A pass to sophomore Ben Lyons and then another to Titan leading point getter junior Ryder Coleman allowed for Coleman to score the go-ahead goal in the 18th minute.
The Titans got a few more shot attempts near the goal throughout the first period but were unable to connect on any. Millikin contained the Titans’ tempo and entered halftime only down one goal.
Illinois Wesleyan’s shot attempt in the 51st minute by junior Matthew Perchik was saved by the Big Blue sophomore goalkeeper Joshua Garrett, who quickly threw the ball towards the far sideline, but first-year Hunter Reinberg stepped in front to intercept the ball. After making a sliding effort to keep the ball inbounds, Reinberg delivered a pass right in front of the goal to Coleman, who buried his second goal of the day to double the lead, 2-0.
The Big Blue now needed two goals to equalize. A Big Blue win would be the difference between Millikin being the sixth seed—and in the CCIW postseason—or falling to the seventh seed and missing the cut. Millikin wouldn’t go down without a fight. They broke the shutout in the 56th minute. An assist by Olav Kaldahl found Bryce Davis just in time to score the first Big Blue goal of the night, reigniting their hopes for postseason play.
The stakes were still high for the Titans, who still lead 2-1. A win would result in them securing the two seed, granting them a bye in the CCIW tournament. A loss would drop them into third, forcing them to play in the quarterfinal round.
Just minutes after Millikin’s goal, the Titans almost iced the game with shots by Jerry Smazil and Coleman soaring just high of goals. The Green and White kept up a brutal intensity, preventing the Big Blue from getting many offensive looks.
With four minutes left, the score still read too much to not enough for the Big Blue. In desperation, they fired numerous high and errant shots near the goal, but senior goalkeeper Sam Kedzior and the Titan defense held strong as the clock continued to wind towards zero. Millikin mustered one last attempt for an equalizer, but Kedzior got one final save with under 2 minutes to go, and the Green and White held on for the 2-1 victory.
Kedzior tied his career high with 10 saves as he claimed sole possession of the program’s all-time wins record with his 29th career victory, moving him ahead of Alex Ruckstaetter, who had 28 wins between 2016 and 2019.
Looking ahead at the postseason:
With the win, the Titans earned a bye into the semifinals, their first time since 2021, and bumped their record to 11-2-4 overall (5-1-2 CCIW). The Titans are chasing their first postseason title since 2023, where they (as the sixth seed) beat fourth-seeded Carthage College after scoring three times in the last 20 minutes of play to punch the program’s first ever ticket to the NCAA Division III tournament.
The Wheaton Thunder drew on Oct. 29 to stay lossless in CCIW play, posting an 11-2-4 (7-0-1 CCIW) record that earned them the 1st seed. They aim to win their first conference postseason title since 2014.
The Green and White will host their semifinal game on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 7 p.m. They play the winner of the Saturday, Nov. 6, quarterfinal match between third-seeded North Central College and sixth-seeded Carthage College.
