Dupage Policy Journal

Another week of competition in the College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) men's soccer saw North Central and Wheaton athletes receive weekly honors, as teams across the league continued their push toward postseason play.

North Central’s Joseph Sargent and Wheaton’s Jack Krahel were recognized as CCIW Men’s Soccer Student-Athletes of the Week. Sargent, a freshman forward, scored three goals and added an assist in two North Central victories last week. He netted the only goal in a 1-0 win over Trine and followed with two goals and his first career assist to help defeat Dominican. Krahel contributed to Wheaton’s defensive efforts by posting shutouts against Kalamazoo and North Park, making four saves in each match for three consecutive clean sheets.

Wheaton remains undefeated in conference play following recent road wins at North Park (1-0) and Illinois Wesleyan (3-2). The Thunder have won four straight games and lead the league standings with nine points. Their attack ranks second in total points (73), leads the conference in assists (25), and is second in assists per contest (2.08). Defensively, Wheaton has recorded four shutouts, allowed 16 goals over 12 matches, resulting in a 1.33 goals-against average. Forward Luke Vander Kolk leads both Wheaton and the CCIW with 22 points from 10 goals and two assists. Cooper Falling has five assists this season, while goalkeeper Jack Krahel has accumulated four shutouts, 37 saves, and a .698 save percentage across 1,080 minutes.

Carroll University extended its unbeaten run to three matches after defeating Augustana (1-0) and Carthage (2-1) last week. The Pioneers are now 5-5-1 overall with a 2-1-0 mark in CCIW play. Carroll is sixth in total shots among conference teams (130) and was led offensively by Marti Solanelles—who leads the CCIW in shots taken—and Iskander Sharipov, who is tied for third with five goals this season. Goalkeeper Uriel Garcia earned a clean sheet against Augustana.

North Park secured its seventh win by beating Elmhurst 2-1 after losing narrowly to Wheaton last weekend. The Vikings stand at 2-2-0 within the conference. They rank fourth among CCIW teams for total points (63) with an average scoring margin of +1.00 per game, having scored 23 goals over ten matches—second-best in the league—and conceded just 13 goals so far this season.

Augustana picked up a point after drawing North Central 2-2 on Wednesday night; they previously lost to Carroll by one goal last Saturday. The Vikings have scored 15 goals through ten matches while conceding sixteen; goalkeeper William Gabrielsson leads all CCIW keepers with 52 saves.

North Central's recent performances include a decisive non-conference victory over Dominican (4-0), contributing to their current three-match unbeaten streak since September 21. The Cardinals have allowed only ten goals through eleven games—the fewest in the conference—and lead the CCIW in total shots taken (229) as well as corner kicks earned (86). Joseph Sargent is currently top scorer for both his team and the conference with ten goals from eleven appearances.

Elmhurst recorded its highest-scoring game this season with a 5-1 win over Millikin but fell to North Park midweek; they remain active on set pieces with fifth-most corner kicks earned among CCIW squads.

Illinois Wesleyan opened its league schedule by defeating Carthage on a late goal before losing narrowly to Wheaton midweek. The Titans are leading producers of both points (77) and goals scored (26) within the conference while also maintaining strong defensive numbers—allowing only eleven goals through eleven games.

Carthage will take a break from league action Sunday night against Wisconsin-Whitewater after seeking its first win since late September during recent contests against Carroll and Illinois Wesleyan. Senior goalkeeper Aaron The leads all CCIW keepers with six-plus saves per game alongside posting nine-save performances twice this season.

Millikin prepares for another home fixture Saturday still searching for their first home win since early September; they rank fifth among CCIW teams for total points accrued this year while leading all teams in saves made per game thanks largely to goalkeeper Chase Mandra's consistent efforts between the posts.