Box Score

ROCK ISLAND, Ill. – Augustana junior Kevin Gleason (Loyola Academy, Chicago, Ill.) ripped a shot off the post and in with 18 seconds left Wednesday, lifting the Vikings to a 10-9 win over Illinois Wesleyan in the semifinals of the CCIW Tournament at Thorson-Lucken Field. Gleason's goal came off a feed from freshman Nick Zielinski (Huntley HS, Huntley, Ill.) and completed a comeback that saw Augustana rally from a two-goal deficit with just over three minutes to play. The Vikings advance to Saturday's CCIW Tournament championship game with a 13-4 record. The Titans finish the season 11-7.
 
Gleason's game-winner capped a wild finish that saw six goals scored in the last five and a half minutes, including four in the last 1:14.
 
The visitors led 8-6 as the clocked ticked near the three-minute mark, but senior Colin Haley (St. Charles East HS, St. Charles East, Ill.) scored off a Zielinski assist with Augustana on a man advantage to get the Vikings within a goal. On the next IWU possession, junior Tyer Amidei (Vernon Hills HS, Vernon Hills, Ill.) forced a key turnover which led to a transition goal by junior Scott Davis (St. Thomas Aquinas HS, Overland Park, Kan.) that tied it. Junior Jonathan Bryk (Fremd HS, Palatine, Ill.) set Davis up with a beautiful assist on the play.
 
After another IWU turnover, it was Davis scoring again at 1:05 to give the hosts their first lead (9-8) since midway through the second period. Sophomore Jared Hawkins (Everett HS, Everett, Wash.) assisted on the go-ahead goal. The Titans won the ensuing faceoff and coming off a timeout, Michael Julius deadlocked the game at 9-all, scoring with 46 seconds remaining.
 
After IWU knocked the faceoff out of bounds, Augustana took over and Coach Kyle Hart called a timeout with 31 seconds left. When play resumed, Zielinkski found Gleason on the left side and he ripped a shot past Titan goalie Steven Laduzinksy, off the post and in to put the Vikings up 10-9. Senior Taylor McGinnis (New Trier HS, Kenilworth, Ill.) won the ensuing faceoff and Bryk scooped up the ground ball and ran out the clock.
 
The teams traded the first four goals before Hawkins scored at 2:53 of the first to give Augustana it's only lead of the game until the last 1:05. IWU's James Maibuecher tied it midway through the second quarter and Julius gave the Titans a 4-3 lead, scoring 1:37 before halftime.
 
The teams swapped two goals each in the third before Evan Mok-Lamme found the net with less than three seconds left in the period to put his team up 7-5. Hawkins scored early in the fourth for the Vikings and Mok-Lamme answered with 5:25 to play, setting up the crazy finish.
 
Davis, this year's CCIW Offensive Player of the Year, finished the night with four goals and an assist. Haley scored three times and Hawkins twice. Gleason added a team-high three assists and Zielinski dished out a pair. Freshman McKay Potter (Hudson HS, Hudson, Wis.) won eight of 15 faceoffs and tied for the team lead with four ground balls. Amidei had a team-high three caused turnovers. Junior Jack Peters (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) made four saves in goals and also collected four ground balls.
 
Laduzinsky came up with 14 saves for the Titans and Mok-Lamme scored four goals.
 
Augustana had advantages of 37-22 in shots and 30-22 in ground balls and turned the ball over just 10 times to 19 for IWU.
 
The Vikings advance to Saturday's final against the winner of Wednesday's semifinal between Carthage and Elmhurst in Kenosha, Wisconsin.