Jacksonville, Illinois 9/4/2023- The Westminster College men's soccer team traveled to Illinois College to take on the Blue Boys to cap off the holiday weekend. This would be the Blue Jays first road game of the season after opening play at home against Central on Saturday night. The Blue Jays would create three chances on goal but were unable to net any of them to tie the game after the Blue Boys scored in the 20th minute to take a 1-0 lead. In the end, Illinois College would hold on and secure the 1-0 victory, improving to 1-1 on the season, while the Blue Jays fall to 0-2 to open the 2023 campaign.

Head Coach Brian O'Connor would put senior goalkeeper Connor Benefield in goal for this game after starting Toby Hughes on Saturday in the opener. Benefield would make five saves in the game on Monday afternoon but would give up the one goal in the 20th minute.

Prior to that, in the 15th minute, Adam Luetkemeyer had a chance to put the Blue Jays on top, but the Blue Boy keeper would make the save. That would be the only shot on goal the Jays would create in the first half.

Freshman Jack Hughes would have a good look in the 52nd minute and looked to tie the game up for Westminster to start the second half. Once again, the Illinois College goalkeeper would deny the Blue Jays.

Benefield would make two great saves of his own as the Blue Boys looked to counter in the 55th and 59th minute and extend their lead midway through the second half. Westminster senior Tyler Christle created the Blue Jays' final chance to tie the game in the 67th minute. The Blue Boys goalkeeper once again rose to the occasion for his third save of the game and secured the 1-0 victory for Illinois College.

The Blue Jays will be back in action and on the road again as they travel to Lincoln, Nebraska to take on Nebraska Wesleyan at 6:00 PM Friday night, September 8th.