DECATUR, Ill. – The Millikin men's soccer team opened College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play with a thriller at Frank M. Lindsay Field, playing Carthage to a 4-4 draw on Saturday night.

The Big Blue came out firing, with Landon Welch scoring in the 2nd minute off a setup from Clayton Gibson. Just minutes later, defender Eithan Shay doubled the advantage, slotting home a finish in the 7th minute assisted by Aidan Welch.

Carthage quickly responded behind Juan Ramirez, who tallied twice in the first half to level the score. Millikin regained the lead in the 24th minute when Bryce Davis calmly buried a penalty kick. Carthage's Eli Schoffstall equalized again before halftime, sending the teams to the break tied at three.

The second half proved just as competitive. Carthage went ahead in the 52nd minute through Lincoln Ponce, but Millikin answered once again. In the 55th minute, defender Noah Horner rose to the occasion, heading home a goal off a service from Olav Kaldahl to knot the match at 4-4.

Goalkeeper Chase Mandra kept Millikin in the contest with six saves against 14 Carthage shots. The Big Blue finished with 15 shots of their own, with eight on target. With the draw, Millikin moves to 4-4-1 (0-0-1 CCIW) on the season, while Carthage shifts to 1-3-2 (0-0-1 CCIW).

The Big Blue will look to build on their strong conference start when they continue CCIW play on the road at North Park on October 1.