Box Score
The Carthage College men's soccer team (7-7-4, 4-3 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) nipped CCIW-opponent Illinois Wesleyan University (5-9-3, 2-4-1 CCIW), 1-0, on Sunday, Nov. 1 at the Neis Soccer Field in Bloomington, Ill. Following a scoreless first period, the Red Men's Jordan Baker (So., Lisle, Ill./Naperville-North) scored the game's lone goal, unassisted, at 48:53.
With the win, Carthage leapfrogged past both Augustana College (Ill.) and North Park University to gain the third seed in next week's CCIW Men's Soccer Tournament. Augustana (Ill., 6-9-3, 3-2-2 CCIW) and North Park (10-5-3, 3-2-2) were tied for fourth place as a result of Augustana's 1-1 double-overtime tie at Millikin University earlier in the day. With a 2-0 win over North Park on Oct. 10, Augustana (Ill.) has the tie-breaker for fourth place and will travel to Elmhurst, Ill., on Wednesday, Nov. 4 for a tournament-semifinal game versus top-seeded and No. 23 Elmhurst College (12-3-3, 5-0-2) at Berens Park.
“It was kind of do or die for us, as far as reaching the CCIW tournament," said Carthage head coach Steve Domin. "Our season got off to a rocky start. I think a lot of people counted us out, because we graduated 11 players, including seven starters. We're getting better every day.”
Third-seeded Carthage travels to Wheaton, Ill., on Tuesday, Nov. 3 to play second-seeded and No. 17 Wheaton College (Ill., 13-3-2, 4-1-2) in the other semifinal contest at Joe Bean Stadium, beginning at 7 p.m. The top-remaining seed after the semifinals plays host to the Saturday, Nov. 7 tournament-championship game, with the winner gaining the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.
Since the CCIW launched its post-season tournament in 2002, Carthage has qualified for seven of the eight events. The Red Men lost in the semifinals the first five times but advanced to the championship game in 2008 and took Wheaton College (Ill.) to a 0-0 tie in double-overtime. The Thunder received last year's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship, 4-3 on penalty kicks.
