Contact: Rachel Balinao, Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant, rbalinao@noctrl.edu
(Written by Athletics Communication Graduate Assistant Jack Lindsay)

Naperville (Nov. 3)—The North Central College Men's Soccer team will kick off their push for the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) Championship on Wednesday, November 4th in the Semifinal round after receiving the No.1 seed bye in the first round.

The Cardinals are coming off an 12-2-3 season, going undefeated at home and have not recorded a loss since September 19^th. They have also competed well against the other top two teams in the CCIW drawing with both Illinois Wesleyan 1-1 and North Park 2-2 results.

Back on Top
After going undefeated in conference play, North Central earned the first seed in the CCIW tournament, reclaiming their top spot after a two-season hiatus. As a result, they will take on last season's regular season champion, the Wheaton College Thunder. The Red and White took down the Thunder in their matchup this season, winning 4-2. Their victory over the Thunder this season added to their 10-game unbeaten streak.

CCIW Recognition
North Central received plenty of hardware for their success in the regular season including First-Team All CCIW selections for Jonas Mund, Marco Costabile, Griffin French and Aleks Duncevic. Trey Zakeri and Ivan Hooshmand received second team honors. French also was named Defensive Player of the Year. North Central's coaching staff, led by Enzo Fuschino, was awarded CCIW Coaching Staff of the Year.

Player Spotlights
Joseph Sargent is third in the nation in game-winning goals with five which also leads the CCIW. Sargent also is tied for second in the conference in goals with eight.

Ahead of him and tied for first in the conference is his teammate Duncevic, has tucked nine goals into the net this season. Along with his scoring prowess, Duncevic is second in the conference in points also dishing out three assists this season. He has also taken advantage of his penalty kick opportunities, converting all five of his chances this season. His five conversions are tied for the second-most in Division III.

Freshman Hooshmand has hit his stride recently and has become an up-and-coming piece the Cardinals have leaned on. Making his second collegiate start last week against Wheaton College, Hooshmand tucked away two goals and recorded an assist in their 4-2 victory over the Thunder.

Success from Both Sides
As a team, the North Central offense has stood out throughout this season and have separated themselves from the field with their scoring. In the CCIW, the Cardinals rank second in goal differential, total goals, and total points. They are third in points per game and scoring offense.

On defense they have the third-lowest goals allowed per game and have kept their keepers out of pressure, facing an average of 11.1 shots per game which allowed them to have their second consecutive undefeated season in conference play.

Something to Prove
Last season, the Cardinals advanced the semifinals before falling at the hands of the Illinois Wesleyan Titans. Motivated, more experienced, and with momentum at their back, the Cardinals are ready to make a deep run this year.
They take on the Wheaton College Thunder in the CCIW Tournament Semifinal on Wednesday, November 4^th at 5:00 PM.