The Millikin men's soccer team opened its October slate with a tough CCIW road contest, falling 5-1 to Elmhurst College on Saturday night at Langhorst Field.

Elmhurst struck first when Klaus Gartner found the back of the net off a feed from Marthin Bobadilla. The Bluejays doubled their advantage just ten minutes later on a goal by Bobadilla, assisted by Max Aquino and Charlie Terriquez.

The Big Blue answered quickly, cutting the deficit in half when midfielder Nick Orr calmly converted from the penalty spot. The goal  gave Millikin momentum heading into the break.

Elmhurst, however, came out strong in the second half, pulling away with three goals over a 14-minute span. Aquino struck in the 51st minute, followed by Gartner's second goal of the night in the 54th, and Caden Sultzbaugh capped the scoring with a penalty conversion in the 63rd minute.

Despite the scoreline, Millikin battled hard throughout. Forward Olav Kaldahl tallied a team-high four shots, while Luke Butler and Bryce Davis each tested the Elmhurst keeper with shots on target.

In goal, Chase Mandra faced heavy pressure and recorded seven saves while playing the full 90 minutes.

With the result, Millikin moves to 4-6-1 overall and 0-2-1 in CCIW play. The Big Blue return to action October 11, with another conference matchup, looking to bounce back and build on their offensive opportunities.