NAPERVILLE --- The CCIW men's soccer season is ready to ramp up in a big way as league play is scheduled to begin this Saturday afternoon and evening.
 
NORTH PARK RANKED 16TH IN LATEST DIVISION III COACHES POLL
North Park is the nation’s 16th-ranked team in the newest Division III rankings unveiled by the United Soccer Coaches on Tuesday afternoon.
 
The Vikings are 5-1-0 this season and rallied for a 2-1 win at Wisconsin-Whitewater last Friday night, scoring both goals in the final 15 minutes of the match. NPU’s match at Kalamazoo was canceled on Wednesday due to weather.
 
Denison remains #1 in the new rankings. Emory is now second, followed by Augsburg, Williams and Trinity (Texas).
 
NORTH PARK’S GAHM, MILLIKIN’S MANDRA EARN CCIW MEN’S SOCCER WEEKLY HONORS
The CCIW announced its Men’s Soccer Student-Athletes of the Week on Tuesday, with North Park’s Alexander Gahm collecting offensive honors and Millikin’s Chase Mandra recognized on the defensive side.
 
Gahm, a sophomore midfielder, assisted on both of North Park’s goals in the final 15 minutes of a 2-1 come-from-behind win at Wisconsin-Whitewater last Friday.
 
Mandra anchored the Big Blue defense with a standout week in net, recording 11 saves and a 0.40 goals-against average across three matches. He was instrumental in Millikin’s 3–1 win over Principia last Tuesday, making three key saves. He kept Division I Bradley off the board through the first half with five saves, helping Millikin stay level at the break. 
 
The senior from Urbana, Ill. capped the week with another strong outing in Millikin’s 3–0 victory at Rockford, stopping all three shots on goal to earn a clean sheet.
 
VIKINGS STAY HOT WITH LATE GAME-WINNER
The 16th-ranked Vikings are 5-1-0 after last Friday’s 2-1 win at Wisconsin-Whitewater.
 
Hugo Neborg scored a critical goal in the 75th minute against UW-Whitewater last Friday to equalize the match at 1-1. The tally was scored on a bicycle kick following a well-orchestrated play involving an assist from junior defender Eduardo Cirilo … Alexander Gahm provided two crucial assists during the game against UW-Whitewater. He set up the game-winning goal by Bastian Eikeland in the 87th minute after passing the ball to the sophomore midfielder following a deflected shot.
 
North Park ranks first among CCIW teams in multiple offensive production categories, leading the conference in both goals per game (2.33) and assists per game (2.17) through six games.
 
NPU will be back on the road, its fourth straight road contest, when the CCIW schedule begins Saturday at 5 p.m. at Augustana.
 
TITANS FIRE 32 SHOTS IN ROAD WIN AT EUREKA
Illinois Wesleyan split a pair of non-conference matches last week, dropping a 1-0 decision to Lake Forest last Saturday in Bloomington before going on the road to shutout Eureka on Wednesday, 3-1. The Titans are now 5-1-2 this fall.
 
Ben Lyons leads Illinois Wesleyan and ranks second in the CCIW in total shots with 30, averaging 3.75 shots per game. He is also a top scorer for IWU, ranking third in the league with five goals and two assists, totaling 12 points … Faheem Mujahid tallied three points in the victory over Eureka, hitting the back of net in the 84th minute and assisting on the first goal of the game. His first assist set up Gavin Young's goal in the 36th minute, and his own goal was scored following a pass from Ryder Coleman.
 
IWU attempted 32 shots in the match at Eureka, the most the team has tallied since Sept. 5, 2012, against Monmouth … The Titans are first among CCIW squads in total shots (145), total points (51) and total goals (18) across eight games played.
 
IWU is scheduled to play its final non-conference game of the season on Saturday when host Wabash at Neis Field at 3:30 p.m.
 
FRENCH STRIKES AGAIN AS NCC SPLITS IOWA TRIP
North Central played to a 1-1 draw at Coe last Sunday. The result came just two days after a 3-2 setback last Friday at Wartburg, giving the Cardinals an 0-1-1 mark on their weekend trip to Iowa. NCC is 2-1-4 overall in 2025.
 
Griffin French scored his fourth goal of the season in the 79th minute against Wartburg, heading in a cross from Marco Costabile to briefly tie the game at 2-2. French currently ranks fourth in the conference with four goals and fifth in the league with 1.14 points per game over seven appearances … Daniel Szalai, the Cardinals' sophomore goalkeeper, finished the match against Wartburg with a game-high five saves. In six appearances, Szalai has recorded 18 saves, and his save percentage of .692 ranks fifth among eligible CCIW keepers.
 
The Cardinals saw an offensive surge in the 1-1 draw against Coe, outshooting the Kohawks 20-7 overall and 6-5 in shots on goal … North Central currently leads the CCIW in corner kicks with 48, averaging 6.86 per game, and is second in the conference with 129 total shots.
 
The Cardinals’ CCIW opener is scheduled for Saturday against Carroll at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium where NCC is unbeaten (1-0-2) this season.
 
WHEATON HOSTS ELMHURST IN CCIW OPENER SATURDAY
Wheaton’s winless stretch reached two last Saturday afternoon in a 2-1 defeat at WashU. The Thunder maintain a 3-2-3 record through their first eight non-league bouts.
 
Luke Vander Kolk scored his sixth goal of the season in the 19th minute against WashU, tied for most goals among all CCIW players. This goal, which leveled the match at 1-1, was a header steered into the lower left corner on an assist from Cooper Falling … Andrew Heeringa contributed at WashU with his first goal in two years in the 85th minute. The tally came from a header off a free kick delivered by Craig Rusin
 
Wheaton ranks second in the CCIW for total points (46) and goals (15) across eight games … The Thunder are atop the league in total assists, recording 16 across eight games – 2.00 per game.
 
The CCIW opener is Saturday night at Joe Bean Stadium when WC hosts Elmhurst. Wheaton is 5-1-1 in its last seven against the Bluejays since 2017.
 
BIG BLUE CLOSE ROAD TRIP WITH BACK-TO-BACK WINS
Millikin closed out a season-long five-game road trip with a pair of wins, beating Rockford 3-0 last Sunday and toppling Blackburn on Wednesday, 4-3. The Big Blue are now level at 4-4-0 in 2025.
 
Olav Kaldahl is fourth in the CCIW  for shots with 23 and averages 2.88 shots per game. He also has three goals on the season, tying him for seventh in the CCIW rankings and contributing to Millikin's balanced offensive effort … Joshua Garrett, the sophomore goalkeeper, recorded nine saves during the 4-3 road victory at Blackburn. Garrett has stacked 23 saves in 201:06 minutes played, contributing to the MU's CCIW-leading total of 52 saves.
 
Millikin generated 30 total shots at Rockford, 11 of which were on target, while holding the hosts to only eight attempts. Millikin ranks third in the CCIW for total shots (120) and total points (43) and second for goals (16).
 
It will be the Big Blue and Carthage when the curtain rises on league play this Saturday evening in Decatur. Kickoff is set for 5:30 p.m.
 
LANDIN STRIKE VAULTS AUGUSTANA OVER COE
Augustana put a result in the win column on Tuesday, snagging a 1-0 win over Coe in Rock Island. It was the Vikings’ first victory in two weeks, and their first win at Thorson-Lucken Field in 2025.
 
Javi Landin scored the only goal of the match against Coe College at the 25:59 mark. The goal was an unassisted finish struck high left, marking his first goal of the season … Goalkeeper William Gabrielsson maintained a clean sheet against Coe, recording two saves over 90 minutes of play. Gabrielsson leads the CCIW in total saves with 36 and has a save percentage of .766 – third-highest in the conference. 
 
Augustana outshot Coe 6-5 overall and had a 5-2 advantage in shots on target.
 
Augie hosts 16th-ranked North Park Saturday at 5 p.m. in both sides’ CCIW opener.
 
CARROLL TO OPEN LEAGUE PLAY AT NORTH CENTRAL
Carroll slipped to 3-4-0 after Tuesday’s 1-0 loss at Lake Forest.
 
Marti Solanelles paces Carroll and ranks first in the conference for shots per game, averaging 3.86 shots over seven appearances. He’s totaled 27 shots overall … Uriel Garcia, the freshman goalkeeper, was solid in goal at Lake Forest, recording four saves against 12 total shots faced.
 
Carroll ranks sixth among CCIW teams in total shots (83) and goals per game (1.14).
 
The Pioneers will play their fourth consecutive road contest when league action begins Saturday afternoon at North Central at 2 p.m.
 
BLUEJAYS DRAW ILLINOIS TECH BEHIND GARTNER’S FIRST GOAL
Elmhurst registered a loss and a draw in competition over the previous week, running its 2025 record to 3-5-2. The Bluejays fell 1-0 at Illinois College last Saturday afternoon before recovering to secure a 1-1 draw with Illinois Tech on Monday at Langhorst Field.
 
Klaus Gartner, a freshman, scored his first collegiate goal in the 64th minute against Illinois Tech, which equalized the match at 1-1 … Caden Sultzbaugh contributed to the Elmhurst offense by logging two shots against Illinois Tech (one on target) and forcing an early save against Illinois College.
 
The Bluejays recorded 10 total shots and put five attempts on target in the match against Illinois Tech, while holding the Scarlet Hawks to just two corner kicks before halftime … Elmhurst has played 10 total games, more than any other team in the CCIW.
 
It will be Saturday night lights for the Bluejays for their upcoming league opener. They’ll hit the road to Wheaton for a 7 p.m. kickoff.
 
FIREBIRDS SECURE FIRST WIN WITH SHUTOUT AT DUBUQUE
Carthage posted its second shutout of the campaign in what was the Firebirds’ first victory, a 1-0 clean sheet at Dubuque last Sunday. Carthage, which saw its scheduled game at Loras canceled due to inclement weather last Friday, is now 1-3-1 in 2025.
 
Erik Sanchez, a freshman midfielder, scored his first goal of the season in the 28th minute to beat Dubuque. The strike was finished off a feed from Dominic Gadalinski … Aaron The, the Carthage senior goalkeeper, was solid as well with five saves in 90-minute shutout. The has logged 24 saves, fourth-most in the CCIW. He owns a conference-leading save percentage of .828.
 
The Firebirds’ defense held firm in Sunday’s win despite Dubuque generating 14 shots, five of which were on goal … Carthage now ranks third in the CCIW for fewest goals allowed per game (1.00).
 
The Firebirds will be in Decatur this Saturday at 5:30 p.m. to begin conference action.