Millikin men’s soccer blanks Elmhurst for second CCIW win

DECATUR, IL – Millikin men's soccer was back in action Saturday afternoon as they hosted the Elmhurst Bluejays. The Big Blue broke a scoreless tie early in the second half and delivered a strong defensive performance to secure the 1-0 victory. With the win, Millikin improves to 6-6-1 (2-3-0), while Elmhurst drops to 4-6-2 (1-3-0).

Both teams battled throughout the first half, recording seven shots apiece. Millikin goalkeeper Joshua Garrett kept the Bluejays off the scoreboard, making four saves to preserve the 0-0 tie. Olav Kaldahl and Arthur Medina each threatened to break the tie, with shots in the 12th and 42nd minutes, respectively, but were turned away by Elmhurst goalkeeper Niyen Ruffin.

The Big Blue broke through early in the second half when Aidan Welch delivered a cross into the box that found Kaldahl, who headed the ball into the net to give Millikin a 1-0 lead. Garrett continued to anchor the Big Blue defense, making three additional saves in the second half, improving his total to seven. Kaldahl's goal proved to be the difference as Millikin held off the Bluejays for the remainder of the contest, securing their second CCIW win on the year.

"Proud of the boys for battling through everything that was thrown at them today," said head coach Charlie Ward. "Thank you to our fans for continuing to show up!"

Men's soccer will look to carry its momentum into Wednesday's matchup against the Illinois Wesleyan Titans. Kickoff is set for 7:00 p.m. in Bloomington, Illinois, with the match streamed live on the CCIW Network.