PICTURED ABOVE: Noah Anthony scored one goal and added an assist in Wednesday night's 3-0 victory over Augustana.

Wheaton, Ill. - On a night that saw the Thunder honor nine seniors playing their final regular season home game, those seniors stole the show and propelled #11-Wheaton to a 3-0 win over Augustana. Seniors scored eight of the nine points registered by the Thunder in the win and helped to pitch Wheaton's eighth shutout of the season and third in six conference contests. The victory gave the Thunder home field advantage for a CCIW Tournament Semi-final match next Wednesday against a yet to be determined opponent. With the victory, Wheaton improves to 15-3 overall and 5-1 in CCIW play while the Vikings fall to 10-6-1 and 2-3-1 in conference play. Wheaton remains tied with North Park atop the CCIW setting up a winner-take-all battle with the Vikings in Chicago at 7 PM on Saturday night.

Wheaton outshot the Vikings 16-9 including an 11-3 edge in the first half and a 7-2 advantage in shots on goal. Both teams attempted two corner kicks. Matt Paprocki made two saves in the shutout effort. Augie's Brett Johnson made four saves and allowed three goals.

Augustana was in attack mode from the opening kickoff on Wednesday night and quickly took advantage of a defensive miscommunication by earning a penalty kick just 2:49 into match. Guessing low and to his left, Matt Paprocki (PICTURED RIGHT) answered the right foot Adam Bengfort with a save and then closed off the angle for the rebound attempt, forcing it wide and quelling the tide of momentum that Augustand had built. From there, the play bogged down in the middle third of the field with Wheaton unable to capitalize on several opportunities and keeping the Vikings from mounting any threats of their own. Late in the first half, Wheaton was able to get on the board when Noah Anthony found fellow senior Adam Blackman who unleashed a laser right-footed attempt that found the back of the net and gave Wheaton a 1-0 lead in the 38th minute.  Johnson would save another opportunity from Blackman later in the half to keep the Vikings within a goal at the intermission.

It was an individual effort by Jordan Golz early in the second half that allowed the Thunder a bit of breathing room in the second half. Taking the ball near the top of the attacking third, Golz beat the Augustana backline into the box on the left side and brought the ball back towards the middle of the field before beating the keeper to give Wheaton a 2-0 lead in the 54th minute.

Augustana was able to threaten the top of the offensive zone but could not connect on the key pass that would cut the Thunder lead in half. Instead it was a beautiful set piece that gave Wheaton a three-goal lead. Off a set-piece opportunity 20 yards off the end line and outside the left post, Elliot Borge and Brendan Finnerty provided a quick two-touch and the left-footed Anthony unleashed a bending line drive around the four-man Viking wall and quickly into the net past a frozen Johnson to give Wheaton a 3-0 lead at the 75:31 mark, a tally that would account for the game's final score.

Wheaton will next be in action on Saturday night when the Thunder travel to Chicago to take on the North Park Vikings at 7 PM determine who will take the top seed in next week's CCIW Tournament. Wheaton and North Park enter the game with identical 5-1 CCIW mark. The winner will claim home field advange for the entire CCIW Tournament, however a draw would give Wheaton the top-seed via the goal differential tiebreaker.