Dupage Policy Journal

The College Conference of Wisconsin and Illinois (CCIW) men's soccer season is set to begin league play this Saturday, with several teams entering conference competition after notable performances in non-conference matches.

North Park University has been ranked 16th nationally in the latest Division III poll released by United Soccer Coaches. The Vikings hold a 5-1-0 record this season, highlighted by a comeback 2-1 win at Wisconsin-Whitewater last Friday. Both goals were scored in the final 15 minutes of the match. North Park’s scheduled game at Kalamazoo was canceled due to weather conditions.

Denison remains at the top of the national rankings, followed by Emory, Augsburg, Williams, and Trinity (Texas).

This week, CCIW recognized North Park’s Alexander Gahm as Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week and Millikin’s Chase Mandra as Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week. Gahm assisted on both of North Park’s late goals in their win over Wisconsin-Whitewater. Mandra made 11 saves across three matches for Millikin, including key stops against Principia and Division I Bradley, and earned a clean sheet against Rockford.

Hugo Neborg scored an equalizer for North Park in the 75th minute against UW-Whitewater, while Bastian Eikeland netted the game-winner in the 87th minute following an assist from Gahm. North Park leads all CCIW teams in goals per game (2.33) and assists per game (2.17) through six games. The Vikings will play their fourth consecutive road match when they visit Augustana on Saturday.

Illinois Wesleyan split two non-conference games last week, losing to Lake Forest before defeating Eureka 3-1 on Wednesday. The Titans are now 5-1-2 this season. Ben Lyons leads his team and ranks second in the conference with 30 shots taken and is among the top scorers with five goals and two assists. Faheem Mujahid contributed a goal and an assist against Eureka. Illinois Wesleyan attempted 32 shots during that match—their highest since September 2012—and currently lead the conference in total shots (145), points (51), and goals (18). They host Wabash on Saturday for their final non-conference fixture.

North Central split its Iowa trip last weekend with a loss to Wartburg and a draw at Coe, bringing their overall record to 2-1-4. Griffin French scored his fourth goal of the season against Wartburg; Daniel Szalai made five saves in that match and has recorded a .692 save percentage over six appearances. North Central leads CCIW teams in corner kicks (48) and is second in total shots (129). Their first conference game is scheduled for Saturday against Carroll.

Wheaton College lost to WashU last Saturday but holds a 3-2-3 record through eight non-league games. Luke Vander Kolk scored his sixth goal of the season—tied for most among CCIW players—while Andrew Heeringa added his first goal in two years during that match. Wheaton ranks second in total points (46) and goals (15), leading all teams with 16 assists across eight games. They open conference play hosting Elmhurst on Saturday night.

Millikin ended its five-game road stretch with wins over Rockford and Blackburn, improving to a balanced 4-4-0 record this year. Olav Kaldahl is fourth in shots taken within CCIW; Joshua Garrett made nine saves during Millikin's victory at Blackburn and has accumulated 23 saves so far this season as part of Millikin's league-leading total of 52 saves. The Big Blue rank third for total shots (120), third for points (43), and second for goals scored (16). They will face Carthage at home on Saturday evening.

Augustana secured its first home win of the year by defeating Coe College on Tuesday behind Javi Landin’s first goal of the season. Goalkeeper William Gabrielsson kept a clean sheet with two saves; he leads all CCIW keepers with 36 saves overall this year (.766 save percentage). Augustana hosts North Park on Saturday.

Carroll University enters league play after falling to Lake Forest earlier this week, moving their record to 3-4-0 overall. Marti Solanelles leads both Carroll and all CCIW players in average shots per game (3.86). Freshman goalkeeper Uriel Garcia made four saves against Lake Forest.

Elmhurst played ten games so far—the most among any CCIW team—recording one loss and one draw last week to bring their record to 3-5-2 overall. Freshman Klaus Gartner scored his first collegiate goal against Illinois Tech; Elmhurst took ten shots during that match while limiting their opponent’s corner kicks before halftime.

Carthage achieved its first win of the season with a shutout victory over Dubuque last Sunday after having another match canceled due to weather conditions earlier in the week. Erik Sanchez scored his first goal as a Firebird while senior goalkeeper Aaron The made five saves en route to his second shutout; The currently holds a conference-best .828 save percentage.

Conference action begins across multiple venues this weekend as teams look to build momentum heading into league competition.