NAPERVILLE — The 2026 College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Men’s Lacrosse Championship will begin Wednesday with semifinal games hosted by the top two seeds. The semifinal winners will advance to the championship game on Saturday, May 2, with the tournament champion receiving the CCIW’s automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Men’s Lacrosse Championship.
 
Wednesday’s semifinal schedule includes No. 4 North Central at No. 1 Elmhurst at 7:30 p.m. and No. 3 Illinois Wesleyan at No. 2 Carthage at 7:30 p.m.
 
No. 1 Elmhurst Bluejays (13-3, 5-0 CCIW)
Elmhurst enters the postseason as the outright CCIW regular-season champion for the first time in program history. The Bluejays are led by three-time CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year Eli Spence, who paced the league in scoring during conference play with 35 points and 5.80 goals per game. Tony Vazquez, a two-time CCIW Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year, recorded a league-best .835 faceoff percentage in conference games. Head coach Mark Morrell’s team also led the CCIW in scoring offense at 21.4 goals per game and shooting percentage at .399.
 
No. 2 Carthage Firebirds (9-8, 4-1 CCIW)
Carthage earned the second seed after finishing 4-1 in the CCIW regular season. The Firebirds’ conference schedule included a 12-9 win over Illinois Wesleyan, their first victory over the Titans since 2017. Carthage is represented by First Team All-CCIW defender Josh Flores and attacker Jake Westland, while goalkeeper Jake Williamson also earned First Team recognition. Williamson is part of a defensive unit that ranks third in the conference in goals-against average at 9.85.
 
No. 3 Illinois Wesleyan Titans (10-6, 3-2 CCIW)
Illinois Wesleyan enters the tournament as the three-time defending CCIW tournament champion. The Titans finished 3-2 in league play and remain among the conference leaders in several statistical categories, including ground balls per game at 43.0 and caused turnovers per game at 15.3. First Team All-CCIW attacker Timothy McHugh leads the IWU offense after averaging a league-high 2.06 assists per game. Senior Billy McHugh is among the leaders for the Titans defensively.
 
No. 4 North Central Cardinals (3-12, 2-3 CCIW)
North Central secured the fourth seed after closing the regular season with consecutive wins over Carroll and Augustana. The Cardinals are led by Second Team All-CCIW selections Ty Nagy and Matthew Cranston. Nagy, a graduate attacker, averaged 2.27 goals per game, while Cranston, a freshman goalkeeper, posted a .563 save percentage. North Central also ranks second in the league in saves per game at 13.6.
 
CCIW Championship History
The CCIW Men’s Lacrosse Championship began in 2015, when Augustana won the league’s first tournament title. Illinois Wesleyan has won seven tournaments, claiming championships in 2017, 2018, 2019, 2021, 2023, 2024 and 2025. Carthage won the tournament in 2016, and North Central earned its first title in 2022. The tournament was not held in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
 
Elmhurst enters the 2026 championship as the only team in the field seeking its first CCIW tournament title.