When the Purple Iron Cats host the 4-7 Dunlap Eagles in the opening round of the IHSA Boys Lacrosse sectional on Wednesday, they’ll aim to advance past the first round for just the second time in program history.

The co-op’s only postseason win came May 22, 2023, when Bloomington-Normal defeated Minooka 10-9 after a first-round bye.

That playoff run ended in the sectional semifinals with an 18-4 loss to the Andrew Thunderbolts—a storm that signaled the start of a long drought.

Fourteen straight defeats followed as the Iron Cats went winless in 2024 before opening this spring with another loss.

That streak ended March 29 against Dunlap when Community junior Thomas Eganhouse scored the game-tying and overtime goals for an 8-7 victory over the Eagles.

The Iron Cats won three of their next eight before falling 12-8 in a rematch against Dunlap on May 15, finishing the regular season at 4-7.

Community senior Ryan Baxter led BN in that contest, tallying four goals.

Baxter ranks second on the team this season with 18 goals, while Eganhouse is third with 17. Normal West’s Geffen Smith leads the Iron Cats with 21.

Wednesday’s rubber match will determine who advances to the sectional quarterfinals, where top-seeded Neuqua Valley (12-6) awaits on May 26 at Dunlap.

Neuqua Valley, coming off a state semifinal appearance last season, enters the postseason having won seven of their last eight. The Wildcats’ lone loss in that stretch was an 8-7 defeat at the hands of the 15-3 Downers Grove South Mustangs.