Box Score The Carthage College men's soccer team (13-7-1, 4-2-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin) lost to No. 8 Wheaton College (Ill., 16-3-2, 6-0-1 CCIW), 2-1 in overtime, on Saturday, Nov. 9 in the championship game of the CCIW Men's Soccer Tournament at Joe Bean Stadium in Wheaton, Ill.

The Thunder were ranked first and the Red Men third in the Nov. 6 NCAA Division III Central Region poll. With the win, Wheaton earned the league's automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.

Carthage shut out Elmhurst College (11-4-3, 4-1-2 CCIW), 2-0, on Wednesday, Nov. 6 in a semifinal game at Langhorst Field in Elmhurst, Ill. The Bluejays were ranked fourth in the regional poll. In the other semifinal contest on Tuesday, Nov. 5, CCIW-champion Wheaton (Ill., 15-3-2, 6-0-1 CCIW)) advanced to the title game with a 5-3 shootout decision over fourth-seeded and No. 25 North Park University (11-5-3, 4-2-1), also at Joe Bean Stadium, after the two team played to a 1-1 tie in double-overtime.

In the title game, Adam Blackman gave Wheaton a 1-0 lead at 10:59, assisted by Stephen Golz. Carthage tied the game, 1-1, on a goal by Michael Dombrowski (Jr., Johnsburg, Ill.), his 14th of the season and assisted by Taylor Pignataro, at 20:36.

Early in the second period, at 48:33, Carthage had three successive shots on goal. The first two were saved by Thunder goalkeeper Derek Babb, and the third attempt hit the crossbar. The second period was scoreless. In overtime, the Thunder's Noah Anthony scored at 93:20 from 25 yards out, assisted by Golz. Wheaton out-shot Carthage, 16-7, but the shots-on-goal were even at four each.

Carthage, with the number-three regional ranking and a win this past week over fourth-ranked Elmhurst, should be in line for an at-large berth to the NCAA championship. The selection show for the 2013 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship will be broadcast at www.ncaa.com on Monday, Nov. 11 at Noon, CST.