Iowa Lakes Soccer Battles Tough in Road Loss to NJCAA Division I Opponent

East Peoria, IL – The Iowa Lakes men's soccer team, ranked No. 3 in the NJCAA Division II preseason poll, dropped a hard-fought match on the road Monday morning against Illinois Central Community College, an NJCAA Division I program receiving votes in the national poll. The Lakers fell 2–1, moving their overall record to 2–1 on the season.

After Illinois Central opened the scoring, the Lakers responded in the 40th minute when freshman forward Jugene Wessels found the back of the net off a precise assist from Zenn Thiele, leveling the score at 1–1. Despite several second-half opportunities, Iowa Lakes was unable to capitalize, and Illinois Central regained the lead to secure the win.

"This was a great early-season test for our group," said Head Coach Ben MacRae. "Playing against strong Division I competition on the road gives us a chance to grow and prepare for what's ahead. I'm proud of the way the guys competed and we'll bounce back this weekend."

The Lakers return home for a challenging two-game slate at Spencer Soccer Complex. Iowa Lakes will host NJCAA D1 No. 16 Western Nebraska on Friday, followed by a Sunday matchup with St. Louis Community College, a team currently receiving votes in the NJCAA D2 poll.

Kickoff times:

• Friday, August 29 – vs. Western Nebraska (NJCAA D1, #16) – 12:30 PM

• Sunday, August 31 – vs. St. Louis (NJCAA D2, RV) – 12:30 PM