CCIW

[Gregory Sager]

Carthage atoned for yesterday's mishap in Holland quite nicely, as Mason McCaw and Mickey Reilly ran a perfect 1-2 up the left side of the Calvin box in the 66th minute, McCaw tallying for the only goal that was scored at Zuidema Field all weekend.

The Firebirds, who outshot Calvin 20 (10) to 9 (3), definitely outplayed the Knights -- or at least they did in the second half when I was watching -- for what is irrefutably a signature win.

[Gregory Sager]

Ugly loss by Augustana at soccer nonentity Marian this evening. The Sabres triumphed easily, 3-0, and I still can't figure out how they got the ball into the back of the net, aside from the own-goal Augie suffered in the second half. In the time that I watched the contest, I saw two Marian breakaways. On the first, the Sabre attacker shot from the six-yard stripe and put it right into the breadbasket of Augie keeper Frankie "Scott" Baio, who hadn't moved a muscle. On the second, the Sabre attacker wound up from ten yards out and hooked a clanker off of the left post. What's more, on another occasion a Sabre player had the ball at the penalty spot after a Baio save, with nary a body within five yards of him. The Marian player froze for a good second and a half, and by the time he got his leg moving forward an Augie defender had slid in to tackle the ball.

Last spring I said on this board that Augustana looked like it now had the personnel to be a program on the rise. Well, it's only one early-season game, but when a team loses like that to that level of an opponent, it makes you wonder.

[jaybird44]

If WashU continues to play with a hungry vibe, I could see a rematch occurring between the Bears and North Park.  Right now, WashU has to be mindful not to lay an egg at Hope Wednesday...but I am very impressed and encouraged by the team's performances so far.

[Gregory Sager]

Jay, I noticed that in the Webster and North Park games you were announcing through a mask. How is that working out?

You're probably having an easier time dealing with a mask while doing a lot of talking than I would. I keep my mouth shut at work during meetings nowadays. I can't imagine PBP wearing one.

[Gregory Sager]

Carroll used a PK goal in the 84th minute to slip past Wisconsin Lutheran, 2-1, at Schneider Stadium.

[Gregory Sager]

Concordia (IL) 1
Wheaton 0

The Cougars scored a sneaky little goal weak-side past an off-balance Hasten Biddlecome all the way back in the 30th minute and somehow managed to make it stand up in spite of an avalanche of Wheaton chances. The Orange and Blue dominated the run of play for all 90 minutes, and the scoresheet was completely lopsided apart from the goals category in Wheaton's favor: 28 (12) to 9 (3) in shots, 8-2 in corners, but the plucky Cougars somehow escaped with the win. Cougars GK Joe Perez was standing on his head, especially in the final fifteen minutes, but it also felt as though Concordia (IL) brought an invisible aluminum curtain with them from River Forest; all sorts of chances that looked sure to go in for Wheaton somehow didn't.

The Cougars really had no business winning this game, but that's the beauty of soccer: The team that should win, and plays like it ought to win, sometimes doesn't win. For the team from River Forest, this one's gotta be right up there with their miracle win at Elmhurst a week and a half ago.

[jaybird44]

It is annoying to have to wear a mask while broadcasting, but it's a campus rule to have one on when indoors.  I especially get aggravated when I have to wear my glasses near the end of my nose to keep them from fogging up while I'm talking.

Today I did allow my nose to leave the mask for a few moments of fresh-air enjoyment.  When no one was looking or in the press box cubicle with me.  Such is the way of life in St. Louis County, which is much more draconian than St. Charles County--the neighboring county in which I live.

[Gregory Sager]

Final from Galesburg:

North Park 4
Knox 0

The best cure for a tough loss is to get right back out there and play again ASAP, and it took only 72 hours for the Vikings to return to the road and wash the bad taste of Saturday out of their mouths. After a somewhat tentative start in which the Vikings appeared to be feeling out numerous lineup changes and only led 1-0 at the halftime horn, NPU came out after intermission and completely bossed the second half.

Congrats to Peder Olsen, who played a really fine game and notched his 42nd career goal to take sole possession of the top of North Park's all-time career goals leaderboard. He should've had an assist on Jesse Anamoo's first-half strike to add to the assist he was given on the fourth goal (scored by Patrick Knap), plus perhaps one more -- Isak Flo's goal went unassisted, but someone slotted him the ball along the left endline, and I think it might've been Peder -- but the Knox scorekeeper was stingy this afternoon. Flo and Anamoo saw a lot of time today, and although they were whistled for a bunch of offsides (the Prairie Fire cannily drew Anamoo into a couple of offsides traps in the first half), you can see how those two freshmen are rapidly developing into killers up top. Once they have their timing down, North Park should have a couple of super-dangerous young guys pressuring opposing GKs.

Kris Grahn used 23 players today, but there was no sign of Noel Holm or William DeCarro for the Vikings, and Ulrik Lund is still out. Billy Boström-Rydfjall started at right back, which really helped solidify the back line, with Isac Esfandyari moving up to holding mid and looking more comfortable there. Alfred Sward recorded his third clean sheet of the season, and he did so without having to make any saves; shots were 19 (11) to 4 (0) in NPU's favor.

Knox is not a bad team at all, despite the 1-3 start to the season for the Prairie Fire. I've seen enough MWC soccer to know that the Prairie Fire, who were the 2019 champions of that league and the preseason favorites for this one, should be right in the mix for another league title by the end of the season.

This weekend should be considerably tougher for the Vikings, though, as Luther (4-1) comes to town on Friday and Christopher Newport (2-0-2) will pay a visit to the North Side for a Sunday afternoon tilt at Hedstrand Field.

UPDATE: Peder Olsen was ultimately credited with those two assists that he'd rightfully earned but hadn't been awarded, so somebody at Knox apparently checked the game film and revised the scoresheet. Good for them -- that's the right thing to do, regardless of which team benefits from it. It also means that Olsen made five points in the game, which is certainly a nice day's work.

[Gregory Sager]

So-so night for the league:

Carroll 6, Ripon 0
Carthage 5, Lawrence 0
Kalamazoo 1, Elmhurst 0
UW-Plattteville 3, Millikin 1
North Central 3, Lake Forest 0

The CCIW is 27-16-3 heading into the weekend.

[CardinalAlum]

Carthage atoned for yesterday's mishap in Holland quite nicely, as Mason McCaw and Mickey Reilly ran a perfect 1-2 up the left side of the Calvin box in the 66th minute, McCaw tallying for the only goal that was scored at Zuidema Field all weekend.

The Firebirds, who outshot Calvin 20 (10) to 9 (3), definitely outplayed the Knights -- or at least they did in the second half when I was watching -- for what is irrefutably a signature win.

Carthage is loaded with young and quality talent.

[Gregory Sager]

Carthage atoned for yesterday's mishap in Holland quite nicely, as Mason McCaw and Mickey Reilly ran a perfect 1-2 up the left side of the Calvin box in the 66th minute, McCaw tallying for the only goal that was scored at Zuidema Field all weekend.

The Firebirds, who outshot Calvin 20 (10) to 9 (3), definitely outplayed the Knights -- or at least they did in the second half when I was watching -- for what is irrefutably a signature win.

Carthage is loaded with young and quality talent.

Yes, they are. I fully expect them to get more and more dangerous as the season progresses.

Your Cardinals are fielding the best side that NCC's had in many years, too. I figured that hiring Enzo Fuschino to run the program would have North Central moving up the ladder, and that's proving to be the case.

The CCIW appears to have four really solid teams this season. (I'm reserving comment on Carroll, because the Pioneers have yet to play any really challenging opponents.)

[Gregory Sager]

North Park 1
Luther 0

Weird night at the corner of Foster & Albany. The contest was delayed two and a half hours due to a repeated string of lightning delays. At one point the teams took to the field after the all-clear sounded and warmed up for about five minutes, only to have another nearby lightning strike force the Thorguard to sound the alarm again.

I came into this one expecting to see two teams that have tons of firepower light up the scoreboard. Instead, it was largely a stalemate played between the boxes. While the Vikings did have the run-of-play advantage, it wasn't by much, and a tough Norse defense largely kept NPU's big guns at bay. But, whether it was the four-hour busride, the fact that they had to cool their heels for two and a half hours due to the lightning delay, or a just plain collectively ornery nature, Luther was extremely physical, as in physical to their own detriment. They were shown the yellow card four times, and, honestly, they should've seen it two or three more times. For the most part NPU declined to retaliate, but the Vikings did get a couple of yellows themselves.

Those yellows turned out to be Luther's undoing, as their starting center back was shown the golden ducat for the second time tonight in the 61st minute, sending him off and putting the Norse a man down. At this point they just started fouling the Vikings left and right every time that the Park got within sniffing distance of the 18, and you can only do that just so many times against a team that has someone like Peder Olsen until you get burned. Patrick Knap was knocked down on the penalty arc at 69:01, giving NPU a free kick that for Olsen is practically a layup. He lofted it over the wall and into the far right side of the goal for the only tally of the night, and the Vikings fended off the Norse to give freshman GK Alfred Sward his fourth shutout of the young season.

[Gregory Sager]

Another game that was played across town, #16 Christopher Newport @ #15 Chicago, also started ridiculously late due to lightning. The Maroons came from a goal down in the second half to oust CNU, 3-1, and now Luther and CNU will switch opponents on Sunday afternoon, the Captains traveling up north to play North Park and Luther going down to Hyde Park to face Chicago.

Two other games involving CCIW teams went into the books tonight, both of them pretty interesting. North Central traveled down to Memphis to face Rhodes, and late in the first half NCC keeper Sid Marquardt came off his line on a Rhodes breakaway and took out the legs of the Lynx attacker. That got Marquardt sent off by the ref, which meant that the Cardinals not only had to play a man down, but with an inexperienced freshman now in the net to spell the departed Marquardt. Wouldn't you know it, NCC then scored a shortie in the second half to break the 0-0 tie. Just as impressively, the backup keeper for the Cards stopped a penalty shot by Rhodes that would've tied it up. But the Cards were whistled for a foul just outside the box a few minutes later, and the Lynx converted the free kick with a humpbacker into the upper-right corner of the net -- practically the same scenario and shot that Peder Olsen would have later this evening for NPU -- and that knotted up the game at 1-1. But North Central was able to use a breakaway to score yet another shortie, and then fended off about six minutes or so of nonstop pressure from Rhodes to claim the win. Rhodes is no great shakes, but anytime you play over half the game short-handed on the other team's pitch, with your starting goalkeeper taken out by the red card, and you still manage to win by getting two short-handed goals, you've made a statement. North Central is a good team.

The other game had less drama, even though it went to overtime, but Carroll was able to garner a penalty kick in the extra session and convert it to down visiting UW-Eau Claire, 2-1.

[Gregory Sager]

Two overtime finals this evening that fortunately went the CCIW's way:

* Danny Eloyza knocked in a PK just 83 seconds deep into the extra session to allow Carthage to down a scrappy MSOE team, 1-0, at Keller Field.

* Nick Dispensa slotted a strike high left in the 106th minute to buy Augie a double-OT 1-0 win over Knox at Thorson-Lucken Field.

The CCIW and Wheaton websites say that today's Wheaton @ Wash U contest was canceled, but Wash U and d3soocer.com both show that the game has merely been postponed until Monday the 27th, and that it will now be held at the Beanpatch rather than at Francis Olympic Field in St. Louis. Who's right?

* Since Wheaton didn't play down in the Gateway City, there was only one CCIW team on the road today: Millikin, which met with disaster at Loras. The Duhawks cruised to a 4-0 win that honestly should've been even more of a rout than it was. In fact, Loras scored another goal at the final buzzer that the ref waved off. The Duhawks turned the Big Blue end of the pitch into a carnival midway shooting gallery, registering a whopping 30 (18) to 6 (4) shots tally. The Big Blue fall to 0-5-1, and they just look awful.

[Gregory Sager]

Tough 1-0 loss by North Park today to Christopher Newport. The Captains really uphold their program's tradition as a defensive powerhouse, the weird three-goal hiccup they suffered in the second half in Hyde Park on Friday night notwithstanding. They're big and what I call a "clean physical" team, meaning that they will bump and back-climb on you all over the field, but they don't yank, tug, or half-nelson you, or do anything else egregious or stupid enough to make the notebook come out of the pocket. Their focus is on the air game, and with their size and physicality they're very good at it. I haven't seen a North Park opponent win that many 50/50s and second balls since Rowan came to town a couple of years ago. Their four-man backline sits deep and is thus super-tough to get behind, and they rely heavily upon winning in the air to advance the ball to midfield.

The Vikings really got rattled and went away from their ball-control strengths for much of the first half (and for a small patch of the second). I think that CNU's physicality and the unseasonably hot day really combined to frustrate the Park. (NPU is never a hot-weather team, for obvious reasons, whereas I imagine that a team based in southeastern Virginia eats up an 85-degree, 70%-humidity day like today for breakfast.) The Vikings came out much more focused and nimble in the second half, but in a defensive struggle like this it often comes down to who does better in set pieces. CNU only had three corners and a couple of close-in free kicks, but they managed to convert a 22-yarder from the shallow right when the ball skidded on the top of the head of one of the wall defenders and caromed slightly into the NPU net. NPU, frustratingly, was awarded eight corners and several close-in freebies -- and couldn't convert any of them, although they came ridiculously close several times. CNU missed some good chances as well, including one play in which Peder Olsen had to clear the ball off of the goal line during a corner-kick crease scrum, but NPU had more of them. But Christopher Newport got theirs to go in, and North Park didn't. That's soccer.

I'd still rather take a loss to a team as good as Christopher Newport than a win over a Lawrence or a Rockford or a Monmouth any day. It's all about making your team better in time for league play.