Contact: Rachel Balinao, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant, rabalinao@noctrl.edu
KENOSHA, Wis. (Oct. 17, 2026) - The North Central College men's soccer team delivered a thrilling 3-2 victory over Carthage College, remaining undefeated in College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) play and officially clinching a berth in the CCIW Tournament.
Griffin French recorded the Cardinals' first shot of the match in the fifth minute, narrowly missing to the right of the net.
Eltayeb Mahmoud followed with an opportunity of his own, forcing the Carthage goalkeeper to make a low save to the right.
North
Central continued to pressure the Firebirds, with
Joseph Sargent,
Javi Landin and Mahmoud each recording shots. Landin and Mahmoud both forced saves as the Cardinals searched for the opening goal.
Despite North Central's early attacking pressure, Carthage struck first off a corner kick, finding a touch past the Cardinals' defense to take a 1-0 lead.
The
Cardinals refused to back down, continuing to attack in the final 20 minutes of the first half.
Julian Nino and Sargent created the final opportunities before the break, but both shots narrowly missed the target.
North Central held a commanding 10-3 advantage in shots in the first half, putting five attempts on goal compared with Carthage's one. Both teams recorded one corner kick, while the half featured 11 fouls.
The
Cardinals wasted little time responding after halftime. Landin caught the Firebirds off guard with a quick corner kick, sending the ball directly into the back of the net to even the score at 1-1.
Just four minutes later, North Central capitalized on another set-piece opportunity. After the Firebirds failed to clear a free kick, Mahmoud found Landin, who redirected the ball to
Jonas Mund. Mund finished the chance to give the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.
Carthage
answered roughly 10 minutes later, converting a free kick to pull even at 2-2 and set the stage for a battle till the final whistle.
In the 66th minute,
Ivan Hooshmand took on his defender and drove a low ball through the box.
Aleks Duncevic drew the defender away to leave the ball for Costabile, who buried his shot into the corner of the net to put North Central back in front, 3-2.
As
the clock wound down, North Central's defense held firm.
Will Mayer, French, Mund, and
Lorenzo Monticelli anchored the back line, while
Sebastian Herrera provided support in goal. The Cardinals shut down Carthage's late push to preserve the 3-2 victory and secure their place in the conference tournament.
North
Central finished with a decisive 19-6 advantage in shots, putting 10 attempts on goal compared with Carthage's two. Both teams recorded two corner kicks, with each side scoring off a corner during the match.
The
victory also marked the 250th career win for head coach
Enzo Fuschino, adding another milestone to an already memorable night for the Cardinals. With a CCIW Tournament berth secured and two regular-season games remaining, North Central will look to maintain its momentum when it makes the short trip to Wheaton College on Oct. 21. Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m.
