Contact: Taiah Gallisath, Associate Director of Athletics Communication, 630-637-5302

Nov. 5, 2025 - The North Central College women's soccer team (14-5, 8-0 CCIW) is headed to its fifth straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) Tournament Championship match after taking down Wheaton College (6-6-7, 3-2-3 CCIW) in a 4-0 shutout on Wednesday evening, Nov. 5. With her ninth shutout of the season, Cardinal goalkeeper Lily Mattison set a new single-season program record and tied the career shutout record at 16. Top-seeded North Central will host the No. 2 seed North Park University on Saturday, Nov. 8, at 5 p.m. for the CCIW Championship.

On one of the Cardinals' eight corner kicks in the first half, Jordan Lange serviced the ball with three Cardinals taking shots, but it was Brooke Nelson who net the goal off the rebound of Gabriella Mattio's blocked shot for the first score of the game in the 10th minute -- the first goal of the season for Nelson.

Cardinals found their second goal of the opening half in the 32nd minute, Mattio picked up the ball just over midfield and passed it to Kara Waishwell, who carried it up the middle for a perfectly placed leading pass to Madison DeVriendt. From the left flank, DeVriendt dished it into Mattio scored on a left-footed volley for the 2-0 advantage. 

Just under two minutes later, Carly Campbell sent a long-range pass to Mattio, and with just a couple setup touches, Mattio delivered a shot outside the 18-yard box for the second brace of her career. It marks the seventh and eighth goals for Mattio this season and is the second two-goal game she's scored against Wheaton, having done the same in their last meeting a week ago. 

North Central dominated the opening half, taking 17 shots while the Cardinal defense did not allow a single shot by the Thunder through the first 45 minutes. North Central carried a 3-0 lead into the break. 

It was not until the 53rd minute of play that the Thunder got a shot off a long-range look that went high.

In the 56th minute, the Cardinals picked up the possession on a Wheaton free kick restart. Lange took the ball down to the right corner and sent a pass into the box that went through seven players before connecting with DeVriendt on the opposite side of the box for a one-touch finesse of a goal in what would seal the 4-0 victory. 

North Central totaled 28 shots in the contest compared to Wheaton's six. The Cardinals put 15 shots on target, with Wheaton tallying just one on goal. While North Central led 12-0 in corner kick opportunities, the Thunder keeper recorded 11 saves to Mattison's one. Nonetheless, Mattison's shutout record climbs to nine this season and is just one away from breaking the career record as a sophomore. 

With its win streak now at 10, North Central iwill make its fifth-straight apperance in the CCIW Tournament final and is set to host the No. 2 seed North Park University on Saturday, Nov. 5 at Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium. Kickoff is set for 5 p.m.