Dupage Policy Journal

The Illinois Wesleyan men's lacrosse team secured their seventh College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship title with a 16-13 victory against Elmhurst. This win marks their third consecutive tournament title.

In the championship game held at Tucci Stadium in Bloomington, Jake Kahoun contributed three goals and an assist for the Titans, while Noah Dretzka made two goals and assisted on two others. Colin Tervo recorded 23 saves, matching a single-game record for the CCIW Championship.

The game began with Illinois Wesleyan taking a quick lead with four goals in the first five minutes. However, Elmhurst countered with seven straight goals, including three from Eli Spence, CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year. This brought the score to 7-4 in favor of Elmhurst midway through the second quarter.

Illinois Wesleyan responded to tie the game 7-7 at halftime, continuing their momentum in the second half with four more goals. This stretch gave them an 11-7 lead with just over five minutes left in the third period, a lead they maintained for the rest of the match.

Despite a late rally by Elmhurst, who scored three goals to narrow the gap to 14-12, Dretzka and Nick Horrocks secured the win for the Titans with goals in the final minutes. Spence led Elmhurst with eight points on four goals and four assists, while Pete Grebe contributed three goals.

Earlier, Elmhurst's DJ Mullenhoff was awarded the CCIW Elite 26 in men's lacrosse for his combined academic and athletic performance at the conference level.