NAPERVILLE --- The 2025 CCIW men’s soccer season continues to deliver exciting storylines, from North Park climbing to seventh in the national rankings to Illinois Wesleyan remaining unbeaten through six matches.
 
Meanwhile, scoring leaders Ben Lyons of Illinois Wesleyan and Iskander Sharipov and Carroll are keeping their teams sharp, and top goalkeepers such as North Park’s Ludvig Almborg and Augustana’s William Gabrielsson are anchoring their defenses.
 
NORTH PARK ON THE MOVE AGAIN
North Park moved forward one spot to #7 in the new national poll released by the United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday.
 
Denison remains the top-ranked team in Division III, while #2 Rowan and #3 Emory were also unchanged in the top three. Trinity (Texas) jumped two positions to #4, while Augsburg also gained two slots to #5.
 
CCIW STUDENT-ATHLETES OF THE WEEK
North Park’s Vidar Rydell was recognized as the CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Week on Tuesday, while North Central’s Griffin French and Wheaton’s Andrew Heeringa shared Defensive Student-Athlete of the Week honors following standout performances on the pitch.
 
Rydell scored twice in the Vikings’ 3-1 win over Trine last Monday, Sept. 8, then delivered an assist to help NPU blank MSOE 2-0 last Wednesday, Sept. 10 for a five-point week. The senior midfielder from Varberg, Sweden attempted four shots in the win on Sept. 8, two of which were on frame. He also played 81 minutes on Wednesday against the Raiders.
 
French was a key contributor for the Cardinals last Sunday, scoring both goals in the first half of a 2-0 victory over 23rd-ranked Illinois Tech in Naperville. The freshman also helped limit the visitors to just eight shot attempts, one of which was on goal.
 
Heeringa, a senior from Grandville, Mich., helped the Thunder keep Chicago off the board in a 0-0 draw with the Maroons last Wednesday, Sept. 10. He followed that performance with assists on both goals of WC’s 2-1 victory over Dubuque last Saturday
 
LYONS LEADS CHARGE AS TITANS KEEP UNBLEMISHED MARK
Illinois Wesleyan is unbeaten through the season’s first six matchups, putting up a 4-0-2 record that includes a pair of road wins. The Titans collected a 1-0 win over Kalamazoo last Saturday in Bloomington and played to a 1-1 draw with Illinois College on Wednesday. 
 
The Titans lead the CCIW in major offensive categories, scoring 15 total goals for a conference-best average of 2.50 goals per game. The team also ranks first in total points (42) and total shots taken (105) and own an overall scoring margin of +1.50 per game.
 
Sophomore Ben Lyons currently leads the league in points piling up 12 points across six games played for an average of 2.00 points per game. He is also tied for the conference lead in goals scored with five, including the lone goal in the 1-0 victory against Kalamazoo and the goal in the 1-1 draw against Illinois College … Matthew Perchik is fourth in the CCIW with eight total points and 1.60 points per game through five matches. He is tied for fourth in the CCIW in total goals (3).
 
Senior goalkeeper holds the third-best goals-against average (1.03) and save percentage (.739) among ranked CCIW players. Kedzior notched his first shutout of the season during the 1-0 win over Kalamazoo and registered a season-high six saves in the 1-1 draw against Illinois College … Joey Rodino and Blye Brickman both provided crucial assists last week. Rodino assisted Lyons' early goal against Kalamazoo, while Brickman recorded an assist on Lyons' goal against Illinois College after volleying a one-hop pass in the 18th minute.
 
The Titans, in the midst of five five consecutive home games, will host Lake Forest Saturday at 3:30 p.m.
 
VIKINGS OPEN 4-1 AFTER ROAD TEST AT WASHU
Seventh-ranked North Park suffered its first loss of the campaign on Tuesday, falling 2-1 at WashU in St. Louis. The result against the Bears, who were receiving votes in the new national rankings, moved the Vikings to 4-1-0 on the season.
 
The Vikings own a league-best goals-against average of 0.80. NPU has allowed the fewest total goals in the CCIW (4) and is tied for the league lead in shutouts per game (0.40), recording two shutouts in five games.
 
Senior midfielder Vidar Rydell leads the North Park offense and is currently ranked fifth in the CCIW in total points, accumulating seven points on two goals and three assists. Rydell also paces the CCIW in total assists (3) and assists per game (0.60) … Goalkeeper Ludvig Almborg is tied for the best lowest goals-against average (1.00) in the CCIW among ranked players, having allowed only four goals over 360 minutes. Almborg also ranks fourth among CCIW netminders in save percentage (.733) and is tied for the lead in shutouts per game (0.25).
 
Junior forward Emil Svenander scored his first goal of the season against WashU on Tuesday. Svenander's 55th-minute goal, which he scored on his only shot of the game, temporarily tied the match at 1-1 after receiving a short pass from the left side.
 
North Park gets a chance to restart a win streak on Friday night at 7 p.m. at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
 
FRESHMAN DUO POWERING NORTH CENTRAL ATTACK
North Central stayed unbeaten last Sunday with a 2-0 win over then-23rd-ranked Illinois Tech in Naperville. The decision advanced the Cardinals to 2-0-3 on the season.
 
Freshman defender Griffin French led the Cardinals' offense in their win on Sunday by recording a brace, marking his second and third goals of the season. French is in a tie for fourth in the CCIW with three goals overall and ranks him among the conference leaders in points per game (1.20) … Freshman forward Joseph Sargent is one of the Cardinals’ top scorers, stacking three goals and 1.20 points per game through five matches.
 
Junior midfielder Hector Huerta earned his first assist of the season during the match against IIT by setting up the Cardinals' opening goal. Huerta fired a free kick from outside the 18-yard box, which French headed past the goalkeeper at the 31:33 mark for the 1-0 lead … Sophomore goalkeeper Lucas Visser earned the shutout victory against IIT, playing the full 90 minutes in net. Visser registered one save in the win.
 
Friday night brings a 7:30 p.m. kickoff at Wartburg for NCC, its first of two matches in Iowa this weekend.
 
KRAHEL STEADY IN NET FOR WHEATON
Wheaton split a pair of non-league bouts over the last week, beating Dubuque 2-1 last Saturday night at Joe Bean Stadium and falling 2-1 at Greenville on Tuesday. The results made the Thunder’s early-season record 3-1-3.
 
Wheaton is one of the top teams in the CCIW in generating scoring opportunities, leading the conference in total assists with 14 in seven games.
 
Junior Luke Vander Kolk is tied for the CCIW lead in points, logging 12 total points across seven games played for an average of 1.71 points per game. He is tied for third in the conference with five goals and recorded the game-winning goal against Dubuque, as well as the equalizing goal against Greenville … Senior defender Andrew Heeringa has also found success, ranking tied for second in the CCIW with three total assists. He logged two assists in the win over Dubuque and provided the assist on Vander Kolk's late first-half goal against Greenville.
 
Freshman Isaac Lucas recorded a multiple-point performance in the victory over Dubuque with one goal and one assist. He scored the tying goal early in the second half with a header and minutes later contributed an assist on the game-winner by flicking the ball down to Vander Kolk … Goalkeeper Jack Krahel has played 630 minutes across Wheaton's seven games, recording one shutout. Among ranked CCIW keepers, Krahel holds the fifth-best goals-against average (1.43) and has tallied 18 saves this season.
 
WC will be the next CCIW squad to match up with WashU on Saturday when the Thunder travel to St. Louis for a 1 p.m. start.
 
CARROLL’S SHARIPOV AMONG CCIW GOAL LEADERS
Carroll traveled to Colorado Springs last weekend for a 2-0 defeat at Colorado College on Saturday. The Pioneers are now 3-3-0 this season.
 
Iskander Sharipov is tied for the CCIW lead in total goals, having scored five goals across six games played for an average of 0.83 goals per game. He is third in the league in overall points – 10 points for an average of 1.67 points per game … Marti Solanelles has registered 24 shots in six games for an average of a league-best 4.00 shots per game.
 
Goalkeeper Uriel Garcia played the full 90 in the recent match at Colorado College where he recorded three saves in the contest.
 
CU will be on the road again next Tuesday, visiting Lake Forest at 4:30 p.m.
 
BLUEJAYS AIM TO BOUNCE BACK AT ILLINOIS COLLEGE
Elmhurst will be looking to climb back into the win column on Saturday afternoon at 1:30 p.m. at Illinois College. The Bluejays, now 3-4-1, dropped a 3-0 decision at Wisconsin-Eau Claire last Saturday and lost 4-1 at Lake Forest on Wednesday.
 
EU has generated a high volume of corner kicks this season, accumulating 37 total corners across eight matches – tied for the league lead.
 
Goalkeeper Niyen Ruffin leads the Bluejays with 28 saves in seven appearances, which ranks him second overall in the CCIW for total saves. Ruffin made five saves in the first half of the UW-Eau Claire contest … Freshman forward Charlie Terriquez scored his first goal of the season against Lake Forest.
 
Caden Sultzbaugh is tied for the team lead in goals with two.
 
WELCH LIFTS MILLIKIN WITH GOAL AND ASSIST
Millikin is 2-4-0 in 2025. The Big Blue collected a 3-1 win at Principia on Tuesday and lost to Division I Bradley on Friday morning, 4-0.
 
Senior midfielder Landon Welch played a crucial role in the victory over Principia by scoring the equalizer in the 22nd minute and later assisting the game-winning goal. Welch has six total points this season (two goals, two assists) through five games, tying him for third in the CCIW in total assists and ranking him sixth in overall points (1.20 points per game) … Junior forward Bryce Davis paced the attack against Principia with six shots and secured a multi-point performance, scoring the 86th-minute go-ahead goal and assisting the final goal minutes later. Davis is tied for the CCIW lead in shots (11), ranking ninth overall in shots per game (2.20).
 
Freshman forward Blake Helvey scored an insurance goal late in the match against Principia, netting a score in the 88th minute off an assist from Davis. Helvey is tied with three teammates for the eighth-most goals scored in the CCIW, having tallied two goals in five appearances for an average of 0.40 goals per game … Senior goalkeeper Christian Smith put forth a strong performance during the match against Rose-Hulman on Sept. 13, collecting six total saves while facing 25 shots. Smith played the full 90 minutes in that loss.
 
Rockford will be Millikin’s next opponent, a 3:30 p.m. kickoff this Sunday at RU.
 
AUGUSTANA’S GABRIELSSON LEADS CCIW IN SAVES
Augustana owns a 1-3-2 mark through its first six games – four of which have been on the road. The Vikings will try to half a two-match skid next Tuesday at home against Coe at 7 p.m., the middle game of a three-game homestand.
 
 Goalkeeper William Gabrielsson leads the conference in total saves with 34 saves in six games for an average of 5.67 saves per game. Gabrielsson also owns a save percentage of .756 (second in the CCIW) and has recorded one shutout this season … Saad Moukhlis scored the Vikings' lone goal in their recent 2-1 loss against Central on Tuesday, finding the back of the net at 61:20.
 
Fer Cuahquentzi scored via a penalty kick goal in Augustana's 5-2 loss against Cornell last Saturday.