Illinois Tech Scarlet Hawks (6-10-1 overall, 2-7-1Â NACC)
at Lakeland University Muskies (5-6-2 overall, 4-5-1Â NACC)
Saturday, Oct. 23, 2021Â Â 2 p.m.
Taylor Field
Senior Day
Lakeland/IIT MSOC Game Notes  PDF
The Lakeland University men's soccer team will look to keep alive its hopes for postseason play when it hosts Illinois Institute of Technology on Senior Day Saturday at Taylor Field.
Broadcast Information
Live video & live statistics:Â
http://www.lakelandmuskies.com/muskieslive
Series history:Â 4th meeting, Illinois Tech leads 3-0
The history between Lakeland and Illinois Institute of Technology in men's soccer is a brief one. The teams have played just three times before, the last two coming since IIT joined the Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference in 2018. The last matchup came exactly two years ago on Oct. 23, 2019 at Taylor Field when Illinois Tech prevailed 4-1 as Conner Shaw scored two goals. Other games included the Scarlet Hawks winning a 3-0 decision at home in Chicago Oct. 17, 2018, and the first came in both teams' 2005 season opener, when Illinois Tech pulled out a 2-1 win here at Lakeland. The Muskies' coach in that game was Marc Colwell, who led the Lakeland men's and women's soccer programs for five years from 2001-05 and now is in his ninth year as head coach at Illinois Tech.
Lakeland last time out: Defeated Marian 3-1 Wednesday
The Muskies played for the first time in a week but stayed hot, running their unbeaten string to four matches with a comeback win. The Sabres scored first but
Michecadet Gethand answered with two goals to give Lakeland the lead.
Lizandro Jimenez also added a goal plus an assist of one of Gethand's goals and Lakeland won its fourth NACC match of the season, its most wins in conference since 2011.
Illinois Tech last time out: Lost at Concordia Chicago 4-3 Wednesday
The Scarlet Hawks lost a tough one to the Cougars, who scored twice in the final 6:22 to come back from a 3-2 deficit. IIT scored first just 8:07 into the match on a goal by Devin Zakeri and answered both of Concordia's first two goals, including an unassisted score by Michael Kaczowka in the 73rd minute for a 3-2 lead. CUC tied it in the 84th minute, though, and scored the game-winner with just 3:10 left in regulation.
Illinois Tech has been competitive in men's soccer in the NACC since joining the conference in 2018, just missing the conference tourney in both 2018 and 2019. The Scarlet Hawks did not compete last year in the conference's shortened spring season altered by COVID-19. This year they are 2-7-1 in conference but with six of their losses coming by two goals or less, including three by a single goal.
Path to the NACC Tournament: The Muskies are still alive for a chance at being one fo the six teams to qualify for the NACC Tournament, and their path to the tourney is simple. Lakeland needs to win its last two games against Illinois Tech and Concordia Wisconsin, and the Muskies also need Aurora to lose its final two games. The Spartans close their season with a pair of challenging games, taking on MSOE and Benedictine teams that both are in the top five in the conference entering Saturday.
Senior Day, or Aaron Smith Day: Saturday is also Senior Day for Lakeland. The halftime Senior Day celebration will be a short one, though, as the Muskies feature just one senior, goalkeeper/midfielder
Aaron Smith. The Lake Geneva native has been a valuable four-year member of the team, serving as starting goalkeeper as a sophomore and this year playing off the bench while also assisting the team in an unofficial student coach capacity. Smith also is a four-year member of the Lakeland men's tennis team.
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