Bloomington, Ill. -- After securing a dramatic and vital win at North Park on Saturday night, the Wheaton men's soccer team continued its three-match road stretch on Wednesday by traveling to Illinois Wesleyan University for another key CCIW contest. Tonight's matchup was considerably higher-scoring and more full of action than last weekend's game, but the end result was the same, as the Thunder again notched an important victory by a one-goal margin to remain in first place in the early conference standings. Wheaton has won four games on the spin and now owns a 3-0 record in CCIW competition, while Illinois Wesleyan drops to 1-1 in league play after suffering only its second defeat of the year.

The Thunder managed to avenge last season's home defeat to their central Illinois opponents despite the box score statistics from tonight's game being decidedly more even than in the Titans' smash-and-grab result one year ago. Illinois Wesleyan posted 21 shot attempts to Wheaton's 18, although the visitors were more accurate in their finishing, putting 11 efforts on target to the hosts' nine. Wheaton also earned a slight possession advantage across the 90 minutes at a 52-48% split, while the Titans took six corner kicks to the Thunder's three. Only 13 fouls were called and no cards were handed out to either team in Wednesday's clean contest.

Cooper Falling (pictured right) played a central role in tonight's win by scoring the opening goal, setting up Wheaton's second, and registering a joint team-high two shots on frame. The Thunder's  
other two goalscorers on the evening, Jack Jacquet and Reuben Bos, joined Falling with two shots on goal. Caleb Davis, Mason Louth, Craig Rusin, Caleb Ryan, and Luke Vander Kolk all contributed one attempt on target, with the latter's noteworthy six-match scoring run finally coming to an end. CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week Jack Krahel saw his net breached for the first time in conference play tonight, but the graduate goalkeeper still had a meaningful hand in helping his team secure a big three points by making a season-high seven saves in a busy outing. 

It took only 11 minutes for both shot-stoppers to be tested on Wednesday, as each side began the contest with offensive intent. Vander Kolk and Louth drew saves from Illinois Wesleyan's keeper in a 30-second span in the 12th minute, and the latter helped create the game's opening goal five minutes later. Louth picked up the ball in the center of the attacking half and carried it over towards the left flank where he dropped it off for Falling. The sophomore midfielder went one-on-one against a retreating Titans defender and created enough separation to try his luck from the top left corner of the IWU box. His low, driving shot caught the unsuspecting Wesleyan goalkeeper off guard and squirmed under his dive to find the back of the net and put Wheaton ahead.

Rusin tested the keeper again five minutes later, but apart from this chance, the home side controlled the flow of the game following Falling's opener, firing off six attempts and earning three corner kicks between the Thunder's first and second goals. But Krahel and the Wheaton back line stood firm and dealt with every challenge that came their way, keeping the visitors' lead intact. The Thunder then doubled their advantage in the 40th minute courtesy of a long-range wonder goal by the veteran midfielder Jacquet. The senior (pictured left) collected the ball in the middle of the park and promptly unleashed a thunderous effort from nearly 35 yards out that   flew into the top left corner and stunned the home crowd. Jacquet's first goal of the season solidified his team's lead and sent Wheaton into the halftime break with daylight on the scoreboard.

Jacquet came close to doubling up on the night just two minutes into the second period, but it was the Titans who netted the next goal, as a long ball up towards the Thunder penalty area was nodded down into the path of an IWU attacker. He brought the header down neatly on his chest and did well to keep his balance against an incoming tackle before firing a left-footed half-volley into the bottom right corner to halve the guests' lead in the 50th minute. But Illinois Wesleyan's hopes of a comeback were threatened almost immediately, as Wheaton restored its two-goal edge just one minute later. Garrett Belcher lofted an excellent pass from the left back position into the path of Bos, who was taking up a central attacking role. The freshman combined with a teammate on the right wing, and a subsequent shot attempt was blocked by a Wesleyan defender. But Bos reacted quickly and blasted his first-time rebound effort from near the penalty spot into the upper netting to flip the cheering from the Titans' sideline to the Thunder's with his first collegiate goal.

Illinois Wesleyan again responded proactively to this setback, attempting three shots in the following four minutes. But Wheaton weathered this flurry and managed to make it through the next 30 minutes of play without many close calls or nervy moments. The hosts produced a glimmer of hope in the final two minutes of the contest, as a cross from the right wing found its target in the center of the box and the same IWU goalscorer grabbed his second of the night with a cool turn and finish to trim the Thunder's lead back down to one. But Wheaton displayed proper game management skills to run down the closing seconds without conceding another opportunity and wrapped up three valuable points that reminded the conference of the team's pedigree as reigning regular season title holders.

After chalking up consecutive victories away from home, the Thunder squad will conclude its three-game road stretch on Saturday evening with a 5 PM match at Augustana College.