NAPERVILLE --- The opening weeks of the 2025 CCIW women’s soccer season have featured explosive scoring, clutch penalty kicks and defensive grit. From Elmhurst’s 17 goals in five matches to North Central and Wheaton stacking early shutouts, teams across the league are quickly finding their identity. 
 
Millikin’s balanced attack, Carthage’s home success and Carroll’s dramatic finishes add to a competitive early picture, while Illinois Wesleyan and North Park look to build momentum behind standout individual efforts.
 
Elmhurst's Start: Scoring Spree and Solid Defense
Elmhurst is 4-1-0 this season, collecting four shutout victories and outsourcing opponents 17-4.
 
Kelli Coughlin has helped drive the Elmhurst offense across five games, topping the team in shots (21), assists (3), total points (11) and shots on goal (13), while tying for the team lead in goals (4) and game-winning goals (2). The junior midfielder notably scored two goals and provided an assist in the 4-0 victory over Concordia Chicago in the Aug. 29 opener, and netted the game-winning penalty kick in the 1-0 win against Benedictine on Sept. 3. Coughlin also contributed a goal and two assists in a 10-0 victory at Rockford on Aug. 31
 
Lauren Nevins, a junior forward, has also been a key offensive player, tying for Elmhurst's lead in goals with four in five games and ranking second in shots with 20 and shots on goal with nine. She achieved a first-half hat trick in the 10-0 victory over Rockford, scoring in the 11th, 22nd, and 24th minutes. Nevins also scored a goal in the 2-0 win against Ripon on Tuesday and provided an assist in the 4-0 season-opening victory over Concordia Chicago.
 
As a goalkeeper, sophomore Erin Fitzharris has been a pillar of Elmhurst's defense, allowing only four goals in 356 minutes across five games for a 1.01 goals-against average and two shutouts. She earned her first solo shutout with one save in the 1-0 victory against Benedictine and contributed to combined shutouts against Concordia Chicago, Rockford and Ripon. Fitzharris also logged six saves against 18 shots in the match against No. 22 Illinois Tech last Saturday.
 
EU will visit Lawrence Friday at 5 p.m. in Appleton, Wis.
 
Millikin's Early Season: Shutouts Stack, Goals Fly
Millikin opened the campaign with a four-match unbeaten streak and will carry a 3-1-1 record into Saturday’s bout with Wisconsin-La Crosse at noon in Decatur.
 
Junior Alanna Smith has tied for third in the CCIW with three goals across four appearances. She scored the opening goal in the 2-1 victory over Westminster last Saturday and contributed a goal in a 6-0 shutout against Monmouth on Sept. 2 Smith also capped off the scoring with her first goal of the season in the 4-0 home-opening win against Knox on Aug. 29
 
Izzy Jones, last week’s CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week, was a significant contributor to MU, registering two goals and two assists for a total of six points early in the season. She scored back-to-back goals in the 6-0 victory over Monmouth with one assisted by Addison Weed and another by Payton Dominguez. Jones also provided an assist on Smith's crucial opening goal in the 2-1 win against Westminster.
 
Freshman Jessica Bearley delivered a solid effort in goal, boasting a .900 saves percentage and a 0.72 goals-against average over three games. She recorded 18 saves and one shutout in her appearances, making 6.00 saves per game. Bearley made 10 saves in a 0-0 draw with Simpson on Aug. 30.
 
Wheaton's Unbeaten Run Meets Top Competition
Like Millikin, Wheaton has posted a 3-1-1 mark through its first five contests of the 2025 season. The Thunder seized back-to-back shutouts wins on the road over Dominican (1-0) and Aurora (2-0) to begin the campaign and also beat Trine 1-0 as part of the Bob Baptista Invitational last Saturday.
 
Lily Lindquist, a junior, owns a share of the team lead with two game-winning goals early in the season and was the first WC player to score twice. She netted the game-winner against Trine and also scored Wheaton's first goal in the 2-0 victory over Aurora … Goalkeeper Leah Roe had an impressive start to her freshman season, recording three shutouts in five games and tying for the CCIW lead in shutouts per game. She made seven saves against UW-Eau Claire in a 1-1 draw and three saves to secure the 1-0 shutout win over Trine … Sophomore Olivia Martin scored her first collegiate goal as the game winner in Wheaton's 1-0 season-opening victory over Dominican. She also provided an assist on Marissa Davis's goal in the 2-0 win against Aurora.
 
The Thunder are back on the road Saturday at 11 a.m. CT at DePauw in Greencastle, Ind.
 
Cardinals Fly: Shutouts and PKs Mark 3-2-0 Start
North Central split its season-opening trip to California, then collected back-to-back wins over Dominican on Sept. 6 and at Calvin on Wednesday to bump its early-season record to 3-2-0.
 
Junior and Aurora, Ill. native Jordan Lange delivered two crucial goals early in the season, tying for the team lead. She scored the game-winning penalty kick in the 77th minute of the 1-0 shutout against Dominican, as well as her first goal of the season in the 2-0 shutout victory over Redlands on Aug. 31 … Lily Mattison has been strong in net, boasting a 0.80 goals-against average and leading the CCIW with three shutouts. The sophomore has made 18 saves with an .818 save percentage, including four saves in both the 1-0 shutout against Dominican and the 1-0 victory over Calvin … Gabriella Mattio scored her first goal of the season in the 25th minute against Redlands, which served as the go-ahead goal in North Central's 2-0 shutout victory. She also provided an assist on Lange's goal.
 
NCC faces a big test Friday against top-ranked WashU at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium in Naperville. Kickoff is set for 7 p.m.
 
Pioneers Battle On: Penalty Kicks, Dramatic Finishes
Reigning CCIW regular-season champion Carroll has one win, one loss and a pair of draws through its first four bouts of the season. The Pioneers’ lone win was a 3-2 decision versus Wisconsin-Whitewater last Monday in Waukesha.
 
Senior midfielder Carmella Nowak has scored two goals for the Pios, both from penalty kicks. She successfully converted in a 1-1 draw against Dubuque on Sept. 2 and the 3-2 victory over UW-Whitewater … Brielle Ingalsbee connected on the game-winning goal in the win over UW-Whitewater, sealing Carroll's first win of the season. The Las Vegas native also provided a key assist in that match and leads the team with seven shots across three matches … Freshman goalkeeper Ava Lewandowski had an impressive collegiate debut, making eight saves and helping secure the 1-1 draw against Dubuque. She played all 90 minutes in the match, facing 20 shots and nine shots on frame.
 
CU returns to the road Saturday, a 2 p.m. start at Marian in Fond du Lac, Wis.
 
Titans' Tenacity: High Scores, Tough Tests
Illinois Wesleyan has won consecutive matches to even its early-season record at 2-2-0. The Titans blanked Illinois College on the road last Saturday, 3-0, then collected a 5-1 win over Monmouth on Wednesday at Neis Field.
 
Sophomore Liza Wiley leads IWU with 3 assists and has tied for the team lead in goals with two, accumulating seven points across four matches. She scored a goal and assisted another in the win against Illinois College and contributed a goal and two assists in the 5-1 victory over Monmouth … Jenna Gravitt, a senior from Morton, Ill. scored two goals early on. She netted a goal in a 2-1 loss to Simpson in the opener on Aug. 29 and another in the shutout victory over Illinois College … Ella Randall made a career-high 11 saves in the opening loss to Simpson. Overall, the keeper from San Francisco has recorded 28 saves in four matches.
 
The Titans, who lead the league in assists with 2.00 per match, will take their show on the road on Sunday, aiming for three straight wins at 3 p.m. at Wartburg.
 
Firebirds' Defense Holds Strong, Offense Finds Key Moments
Carthage is unbeaten at home so far in 2025, putting up a 1-0-1 mark at Art Keller Field. It’s part of the season’s first two weeks that have seen the Firebirds go 2-3-1 overall.
 
Jadynn Kramer, a junior forward, tied for the team lead with two goals in six matches She netted the game-sealing goal in a 2-0 victory over Concordia Chicago on Sept. 3 and another goal in the 2-1 win against Bethel last Sunday … Goalkeeper Ainsley Stallworth was Tuesday’s CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week, achieving a 0.60 goals-against average and an .885 saves percentage over five matches. The Fresno, Calif. native recorded two shutouts, including six saves in a 0-0 draw against Concordia Wisconsin on Sept. 6 and four saves in the 2-0 win over Concordia Chicago … Sophomore Emma Amberg leads the team with two assists. She scored the opening goal in the 2-0 win over Concordia Chicago and provided assists for Kramer's goals against both Concordia Chicago and Bethel.
 
The Firebirds will aim to keep its success going at home on Saturday when they welcome Wisconsin Lutheran for a noon start.
 
Vikings' Early Rollercoaster: Hat Tricks, Record Saves, and Top-Tier Tests
North Park will take momentum into the weekend after securing a 1-0 win over St. Norbert on Wednesday in Chicago. The decision snapped a three-match skid and improved the Vikings to 2-3-0 on the campaign.
 
Midfielder Julia Önnerheim started the season strong, notching a hat trick in North Park's 5-1 season-opening victory over Benedictine on Aug. 29. Her three goals in that match equaled her entire goal tally from the previous year … Goalkeeper Paige MacRitchie, a senior from Geneva, Ill., was solid against #22 Illinois Tech on Aug. 31, tying a single-match program record with 15 saves. She also secured her first shutout of 2025 by making five saves in the 1-0 win against St. Norbert … Freshman defender Tilda Karlsson scored her first collegiate goal, which was the game-winner, in the 54th minute of North Park's 1-0 shutout victory over St. Norbert. She also registered the Vikings' only shot on goal in a 3-0 loss to #9 Loras on Sept. 6.
 
The Vikings’ next four matches are at the Holmgren Athletic Complex in Chicago, starting with Saturday’s 11 a.m. matchup with Augsburg.
 
Augustana's Resolve: Goals Found, Clean Sheet Earned
Augustana will seek its first win of the campaign on Friday when the Vikings travel to Mount Vernon, Iowa to meet Cornell at 4 p.m. Augie is 0-3-1 in 2025.
 
Sara Schinker, a junior goalkeeper, recorded seven saves in matches against Kalamazoo last Tuesday and in the season opener against Marian on Aug. 29. She played all 90 minutes in both matches … Freshman Skylar Swanson scored a goal and tacked on an assist in a 4-2 loss to Wisconsin-Platteville on Sept. 6. She also led the team with two shots in the game against Kalamazoo … Junior forward Ximena Osorio-Rodriguez opened Augustana's scoring in the second half of the UWP match, netting a goal off an assist from Swanson. She also led the team with two shots in that match.