The Illinois College men's soccer team secured a significant victory against Cornell College on Wednesday night, marking their Senior Day with a 3-1 win. This triumph places the Blueboys at the top of the Midwest Conference standings with a record of 4-1-2 and 14 points.
Before the match, four seniors were honored for their contributions to the team: forward Brayden Grimsey, defender Albert Nimako, midfielder Josh Platzbecker, and student-manager Payton Lanning.
In the early stages of the game, Illinois College showed aggressive offensive play by taking five shots. Cornell responded with an offensive attempt from Aiden Lerch, which was saved by Owen Macias. In the 35th minute, Reed Rogers scored for IC with a shot that hit the crossbar before going in. The score remained 1-0 at halftime.
The second half saw increased pressure from Illinois College on Cornell's defense, leading to several turnovers. In the 52nd minute, Jives Efemini scored from a corner kick delivered by Rogers, extending IC's lead to 2-0. Shortly after, Jason Hernandez scored another goal from a corner kick.
Cornell managed to score in the 87th minute through Federico Polidori, setting the final score at 3-1. Macias made four saves during the match.
Illinois College outshot Cornell 18-8, with Hernandez leading IC with five shots. The Blueboys will end their regular season against Beloit College on Saturday in Beloit, Wisconsin.
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