BLOOMINGTON, Ill. – The Illinois Wesleyan women's soccer team controlled its home opener against Wartburg College from wire to wire Monday afternoon, Sept. 7, at Neis Field. The Titans scored in the early goings and never looked back in a 4-0 win for IWU.
Illinois Wesleyan did not need much time taking control and setting the tone for the afternoon. Junior Liza Wiley (Bloomington, Ind.–Home School) kickstarted the Titans' first goal, stepping in to swipe possession at midfield. Sending the Green and White on the attack, Wiley flipped the field and played a ball to junior Taylor Haun (Metamora, Ill. – Metamora Township) on the far side. With the ball at her feet, Haun surveyed the field and sent a ball to senior captain Sophie Lampert (Hudson, Ill. –Normal Community), who buried a shot for IWU's first goal of the day less than five minutes in.
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The Titans doubled their lead in the 27th minute, with Haun once again finding an open teammate. This time, freshman Peyton McMahon (Lakewood, Ill. – Crystal Lake Central) was the beneficiary. McMahon's initial shot was held off by a desperation reach by Wartburg's fully extended, diving keeper, but McMahon was relentless. Tracking down the loose ball near the goal line, McMahon would not be denied as she sent IWU in front two goals to none.
The Green and White struck in the 55th minute to open the second-half scoring. Senior Ava Mapes (Golden, Colo. – Lakewood) beat the Wartburg defense to a ball in the box and created enough space to get a shot off, but the attempt was blocked. The forward did not relent though, recollecting the rebound and dropping a pass to Wiley as she made a run down into the box. Taking one touch, Wiley cut toward the center of goal and fired a shot past the keeper for a 3-0 lead.
Junior Ellen Dahlquist (Peoria, Ill. – Peoria Notre Dame) gained possession just inside midfield in front of the Titan bench and executed with precision. The co-captain sent a one-touch cross to the six, where Mapes elevated over two Knight defenders and headed it inside the post. The 56th-minute strike gave Illinois Wesleyan a 4-0 advantage.
The Green and White kept steady pressure on Wartburg's defense with several close calls down the stretch, ultimately coming away with a 4-nil victory.
Defensively, the Titans limited the Knights to three shots with two on goal. Sophomore Zoe Kormah (Pekin, Ill. – Pekin Community), senior Adriana Ruffolo (Bloomingdale, Ill. – Glenbard North), freshman Rebecca Kunz (Plainview, N.Y. – Plainview Old Bethpage) and freshman Lucy Gray (Evergreen Park, Ill. – Mother McCauley) combined for two saves while posting a shutout. The clean sheet marks the second straight zero for the Titan keepers and the fourth in the last six games dating back to 2025. Meanwhile, IWU racked up 18 shots and put seven on target.
The Titans will be back on the road Wednesday, Sept. 9 to face off against Dominican University. Kickoff will be at 4:30 p.m. with live coverage being accessed here.
