KENOSHA, Wis. – The Carthage College men's soccer team stayed perfect through four College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin matches in 2016 Saturday evening with 4-3 win over Millikin University at Art Keller Field. 
 
#21 Carthage, now 12-3-0 on the year and 4-0 in the CCIW, limited the Big Blue, 7-4-2, 1-3-0 CCIW to just five shots in the match, forcing winning goalkeeper, Brayan Arce Justiniano into two saves.
 
"In this league nothing is easy," said head coach Steve Domin.  "We got lulled into a chess match and if I am honest I think they won the shape battle.  Clearly we were never behind but it kind of felt like it at times.   I probably subbed a little to liberally but we are, and should be, deep enough to manage."
 
The Red Men outshot Millikin in the game 16-9 while controlling the pace of game for a majority of the match.
 
Following a stalemate through the first 23 minutes, Carthage finally broke through and earned their first shot on target resulting in a goal.  Following a long cross to the back post by Jeff Montemayor, Austin Bitta played a ball that found Kevin Mahoney on top of the six.  Mahoney baited the keeper to the ground on a shot and layed the ball off to a charging Ivan Esquivel who finished with a one-touch inside the left post.
 
The Red Men added a second goal with 5:31 left in the first half as Bitta earned his second assist of the game, curling a corner to the front post to the head of Freddy Martinez, where Martinez flicked a header past the Millikin keeper.
 
13 minutes into the second half Millikin cut the lead to one as Ben Spelman ripped a shot that beat Arce Justiniano for the Big Blue's first goal of the match.
 
Carthage reasserted the two-goal lead when Austin Bitta put away a penalty kick in the 65th minute after Esquivel was taken down in the box, placing the PK to the right of the keeper who dove to the left.
 
Domin pointed out that, "People forget that teams bring their very best everyday against us and we were certainly got caught in a low point emotionally."
 
Spelman once again sent it back to a one goal game at 3-2 in the 69th minute as he redirected a corner on to goal that found the net from the front post.
 
Just over two minutes later, Bitta scored his second goal as he intercepted an arrant Millikin pass and hit a low hard shot past a diving Trevor Creek to put Carthage up 4-2.
 
Bitta's second proved to be the game-winner as Tucker Mathieson cleaned up a scrum in front of the Red Men goal after Carthage failed to clear.  Ending the scoring at 4-3.
 
"I am happy with the win against a highly ranked regional opponent and league member but we have to clean it up moving forward," closed the head coach.
 
The Red Men go back on the road next week as they head to Elmhurst College Wednesday for a rematch of the epic 2015 CCIW Semifinal that saw Carthage advance following 11 rounds of penalty kicks.