Dupage Policy Journal

The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) provides intriguing developments as its men's lacrosse teams continue their matches into early April. The upcoming games on Saturday, April 5, feature North Central facing Transylvania and Carthage going against Elmhurst, followed by contests on Wednesday, April 9, where Benedictine squares off against Carroll and North Central takes on Illinois Wesleyan.

Several players from different colleges have shown noteworthy performances in the Division III category. Elmhurst junior Eli Spence, from Snoqualmie, Washington, leads with 7.33 points per game nationally and holds the second spot with 4.44 goals per game. He is also ranked 17th with an average of 2.89 assists per game. Meanwhile, Carthage’s Andrew Johnson from Lakeville, Minnesota, is performing well as he ranks fifth in Division III with 6.00 points per game.

From Elmhurst, junior Gabe Henry stands out by ranking fourth with 3.38 caused turnovers per game, while North Central's senior Aidan Murphy, hailing from Lindenhurst, Illinois, is noted for his .661 saves percentage, placing him second in Division III. He also has an impressive streak with 8.21 goals-against average. Illinois Wesleyan's sophomore Timothy McHugh plays an impressive game too, ranking 11th in assists per game with an average of 3.10.

In the realm of defensive prowess, Elmhurst's senior Noah Mickelson and Carroll's junior Jake Gehl have shown solid play. Mickelson, from Mattawan, Michigan, is 19th in goals-against average with 8.03 and 25th with a .594 saves percentage. Gehl ranks 24th with an 8.35 goals-against average. Illinois Wesleyan's fifth-year Ike Eastburn from Colorado Springs, Colorado, rounds off by ranking 19th with a .500 shot percentage.

Within the CCIW itself, Carthage sophomore Chad Kohlmann was instrumental even though the Firebirds ended with an 11-10 loss to Albion last Saturday. Kohlmann recorded double figures in ground balls for the third season time. Also, Elmhurst senior Pete Grebe managed to clinch a win with two goals, one being a decisive game-winner against Colorado College last Saturday. Meanwhile, Illinois Wesleyan's senior Nick Schroeder has asserted dominance in ground balls, marking a high of 14 balls last Saturday against Adrian.

North Central's Murphy was recently honored as the CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week, reflecting his 19 saves against Calvin in their last match. His performance keeps North Central undefeated at home, holding a solid 4-0 home record.