Box Score
The Carthage College men's soccer team (12-5-2, 5-1-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked fifth in the Oct. 25 National Soccer Coaches Association Central Region poll, defeated CCIW-opponent Illinois Wesleyan University (8-8-1, 3-3-1 CCIW), 3-2 in overtime, on Saturday afternoon, Oct. 29 at the Neis Soccer Field in Bloomington, Ill. 

With the win, combined with North Park's 2-1 loss to North Central College, also on Oct. 29, the Red Men won an outright CCIW title, their second conference championship and their first since 2007. Carthage will be the top-seeded team in this week's CCIW Men's Soccer Tournament and will play host to fourth-seeded Elmhurst College (8-6-4, 3-2-2 CCIW) on Wednesday, Nov. 2 in a semifinal game at Art Keller Field in Kenosha, Wis.  Second-seeded North Park University (10-2-3, 4-2-1 CCIW) will play host to the third-seeded Wheaton College (Ill., 10-7-2, 4-2-1 CCIW) in the other semifinal contest.  The highest-remaining seed after Wednesday's semifinals will play host to the Saturday, Nov. 5 tournament-championship game.
 
After a scoreless first period, Illinois Wesleyan took a 2-0 lead in the second half behind goals by Angelo Catalano at 60:22 and Kyle Gorgol at 70:13.  Carthage's Dylan Tucker (Fr., St. Charles, Ill./East) scored at 76:49, assisted by Billy Hamilton.  The Red Men's Michael Dombrowski (Fr., Johnsburg, Ill.) tied the game with a goal, his 10th of the year, at 85:43, assisted by Rafal Zalewski.  The Dombrowski goal sent the contest into overtime, and Carthage won the game with 45 seconds remaining in the overtime period when Greg Pignataro (Sr., Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) scored on a penalty kick.  The Titans had a narrow, 14-13 edge in shots over the Red Men.

“Had we lost this game,” said Carthage coach Steve Domin, “it would have been my fault.  We really underestimated Illinois Wesleyan and had to make serious adjustments at halftime.  Today, Illinois Wesleyan played as hard as any top-ranked opponent we played all year, and coupled  with fighting the wind and sun in the first period, this game turned into a football game played on a soccer field.   It wasn't how we drew it up, going down two goals, but it made for some dramatics in the last 10 minutes.  We were down but never out.  After going down two goals, Dylan Tucker picked the right time to redirect a header, which was perfectly placed over their goalkeeper from about 12 yards out.  You could feel we were on verge of some special at that moment.  Our second goal was more Dombrowski- time, with Michael answering with his own header to knot it up.  After a clear hand ball in the box following a point blank shot by Dylan Tucker, Greg hit his penalty kick. 
 
“Winning a conference championship will bond this team forever,” continued Domin.  “Although we respect all the opponents in our league, I wish everyone could feel the way we do right now.  Too many people told these kids they weren't worthy and couldn't accomplish anything once we lost some of our top performers to injury.”