Elmhurst, Ill. -- Facing a short turnaround after their action-packed draw at #11 North Central on Wednesday night, the Wheaton men's soccer team traveled to another nearby destination for their second conference road match this morning. The Elmhurst Bluejays welcomed the Thunder to campus for their Homecoming fixture, but Wheaton spoiled the festivities with another high-scoring performance, notching a 3-2 win thanks to two goals from Kyle Johnson and one from Pryse Anderson. The duo has now combined for 17 scores on the season, and their goals today helped Wheaton improve its conference record to 2-0-1.

The home side began the match on the front foot, forcing a pair of saves by the Thunder goalkeeper, Mason Escalante. The Bluejays opened the scoring in the 12th minute as a direct move up the left wing caused a defensive breakdown for the visitors, and an Elmhurst attacker was able to roll the ball into an empty net following a pass across the box. But Wheaton needed only eight minutes to respond. Just seconds after the opposition shot-stopper denied his effort, Pryse Anderson found himself with plenty of time and space in the Elmhurst defensive third, and Timmy Jones collected the ball at midfield and found him with an accurate assist. Anderson ran at goal and buried his effort from the top-left side of the box into the roof of the net to draw the Thunder level. This strike saw the junior forward hit double-figures in 2023, notching his tenth goal of the campaign.

Elmhurst tried to seize their lead back quickly in the following minutes with increased attacking pressure, but Kyle Johnson flipped the scoreline via a spectacular long-range effort against the run of play. Noah Penner fed him a pass through a crowded midfield, and the sophomore striker wasted no time in turning on the ball and launching a 25-yard hit into the top right corner of the hosts' goal. Johnson's postage-stamp finish pushed Wheaton into the lead despite being the side under pressure for most of the half and marked a welcome return to goal-scoring form for the player. Both teams registered shots on target and Elmhurst secured three corner kicks in the remaining portion of the first half, but neither goalkeeper was beaten before the halftime horn sounded, and the visitors held a 2-1 lead going into the break.

The beginning of the second half did not feature as many chances as the opening minutes of the first frame did, but the Bluejays managed to level the score at 2-2 as the clock hit 60 minutes. An excellent solo dribble down the right side of the Thunder defense saw a perfectly-weighted ball delivered to the back post, and an eager Elmhurst attacker was all too happy to head it in to tie the game. The closing stages of Saturday's contest saw the home side doing most of the offensive work, and it appeared as though Elmhurst were the likelier of the two teams to snatch a late winning goal. But Wheaton were determined not to see their unbeaten road record in CCIW play come to an end today, and Johnson proved to be the man of the hour by bagging his second goal of the day with ten minutes remaining.

A long ball over the top from the Wheaton defense allowed Anderson to run into space on the left wing, and the junior was patient in holding the ball up until his fellow attackers could join him in getting forward. He eventually found Johnson at the top of the box, and sensing that he had plenty of time to steady himself, the second-year player calmly dispatched his shot into the lower left corner of the Elmhurst goal to break the hearts of the hosts and give Wheaton a full share of the spoils. 

The Bluejays out-shot and out-possessed their visitors in today's contest, and the hosts posted eight more corner kicks than the Thunder. But Wheaton took the chances that fell their way and managed to leave town with a victory despite the statistical disadvantages. A physical affair between the suburban sides saw 20 fouls called and two yellow cards issued to either team.

Escalante had another busy outing in Wheaton's goal, making seven saves in the win. Johnson and Anderson were responsible for almost all of the Thunder's attacking output, as the former put four of his five shots on target, including his brace of goals, and the latter scored once from three efforts on frame and picked up the match-winning assist for the second time in seven days. Timmy Jones and Noah Penner also earned an assist each in Saturday's victory, and Nick Rodriguez and Caedmon Gross accounted for Wheaton's other pair of shots on goal today.

After a busy week, the Thunder will look to end the first half of their CCIW regular season schedule on a strong note when they return to Joe Bean Stadium on Wednesday to host the Carroll Pioneers. Kick off is set for 7 PM.