JACKSONVILLE, Illinois – The Prairie Fire will enter Midwest Conference play on a roll following a 7-0 win over MacMurray College on Thursday in the annual Ferris Trophy match.

Knox has yet to relinquish the trophy to the Highlanders in the three-year old rivalry that recognizes the connections both Galesburg and Jacksonville have to the Ferris wheel and its inventor, George Ferris.

The Prairie Fire (5-2) hit the Highlanders with a pair of quick scores just before the break to turn a two goal lead into a 4-0 advantage.

Junior Charles Edemba (Abia, Nigeria, Santana Rhetoric Institute) broke the ice for Knox with a goal 14:21 into the match.   Sophomore Bernardo Gasperazzo (Montes Claros, Brazil, Colegio Padrao) followed with back-to-back goals in the 30th and 42nd minutes, respectively, for a 3-0 Prairie Fire lead.  First-year Shu Kitamura (Hong Kong, Hong Kong, IMG Academy) assisted on Gasperazzo's first goal and fellow first-year Sam Tatum (Atlanta, GA, Paideia School) set up his teammate's second goal.

Sophomore Jacob Ly (Beavercreek, OH, Beavercreek) put Knox up 4-0 with his first goal of the season, assisted by Gasperazzo, with just 37 seconds left in the opening half.

Knox stretched its lead to 5-0 on a goal by senior Jacob Polay (Galesburg, IL, Galesburg) five minutes into the second stanza.  Junior Abdulsalam Oganla (Lagos, Nigeria, The International Academy) recorded his team-high fourth assist of the season on Polay's goal.

The Prairie Fire scored the last two goals of the match less than 90 seconds apart.  Junior Charlie Harned (Webster Groves, MO, Clayton) sent a shot past MacMurray keeper Tyler Marfo at the 62:52 mark.  Edemba scored his second goal at 64:08 to round out the scoring, the first multi-goal game of his career.

Knox fired 29 total shots, 13 of which were on target, while holding the Highlanders to two shots.

Senior Sean Dockrell (Dublin, Ireland, San Bernadino CC) had two saves in goal and recorded his third shutout of the season.  The only goal against him in the past four matches was an own goal charged to the Prairie Fire in a 2-1 overtime win against Concordia University (WI) last Sunday at home.

The Prairie Fire begin Midwest Conference play at Grinnell College on Saturday at 1:00 p.m.  Knox has won four straight while the Pioneers (3-1-2) own three consecutive victories.  Grinnell hasn't lost since a 1-0 setback in overtime at home against Carleton College in the season-opener for both squads on August 31.