BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – Will Rossi scored nine goals Wednesday to lead Illinois Wesleyan to a 27-4 win over Augustana in CCIW Tournament semifinal play at Tucci Stadium. The Vikings' 2019 season comes to an end with a record of 8-10, while the host Titans move on to Saturday's championship game with a mark of 15-1.
Sophomore Shane Forsythe scored two
goals in Augustana's 27-4 loss at Illinois
Wesleyan Wednesday,
Charles Hildestad scored twice and Rossi dished out his only two assists of the game as IWU took a 5-1 lead after one quarter. After Rossi scored just 14 seconds in, sophomore
Trever Moore's (Naperville Central HS, Naperville, Ill.) unassisted goal at the 11:08 mark tied it for Augustana. Hildestad's first tally, with 5:54 remaining in the period, gave the Titans the lead for good.
Rossi scored the first three goals of the second quarter—including two on a man advantage—and finished the period with six. The last beat the halftime horn and sent the teams to the locker room with the Titans on top 14-1.
Viking sophomore
Shane Forsythe (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) opened the third quarter scoring, but Rossi, Ty Collins and Nick Ceko each scored twice as the hosts closed the period with nine straight goals. Ceko scored off a Tanner Nelson assist to make it 23-2 going to the fourth.
Forsythe and freshman
Travis Hastings (Englewood HS, Littleton, Colo.) sandwiched goals around four IWU scores in the last period. Moore assisted on Hastings' goal in the final minute.
The Titans outshot their guests 68-40 and 42-20 in shots on goal. They led 48-17 in ground balls, won 25 of 34 faceoffs and were perfect in four man-up opportunities. Augustana committed 29 turnovers to 24 for IWU.
Forsythe's two goals led the Vikings, while Moore had a goal and an assist. Freshman
John Calabrese (Maine South HS, Park Ridge, Ill.) had a team-high six ground balls and freshman
Todd Burr (Santiago HS, Corona, Calif.) snared three, to go along with a team-best two caused turnovers.
Augustana's
Tommy Angelos (York HS, Elmhurst, Ill.) went the distance in goal and recorded 15 saves. Benigno Hauser stopped nine Viking shots in the first half and Will Harris recorded seven saves in the second half.
