Wheaton, Ill. -- Less than two weeks after upsetting the North Park Vikings on their home field, the Wheaton men's soccer team were dealt a rematch with their Windy City rivals, this meeting coming at Joe Bean Stadium. The Thunder entered the 2022 CCIW Tournament as the #2 seed thanks to their head-to-head win over North Park in the regular season, and a sizable suburban crowd were treated to a feisty and high-octane encounter on Wednesday night. One goal either side of halftime was enough for the Vikings to avenge their recent home defeat and end Wheaton's win streak at three matches. The Thunder conclude their regular and conference season with an overall record of 8-5-4.

From the opening whistle, it was clear that both teams were up for the challenge, with the match immediately featuring slick passing moves, quick transition play, and strong tackling. Wheaton tallied the first two shot attempts of the night, while the visitors earned the first effort on goal just shy of the ten minute mark. The Vikings ramped up the pressure in the next ten minutes, and this momentum eventually paid dividends as North Park were awarded a penalty kick after their attacker was brought down inside the box. Isak Flo buried the free shot and gave the visitors a first half lead. Less than one minute later, Alessandro D'Argento, recently named to the All-CCIW First Team, registered Wheaton's first and only shot on target in the contest with a low, rasping effort that drew a save from North Park's goalkeeper. The Vikings then hit the post from a dangerous free kick position, but the home side did well to limit their opponents' opportunities in the closing stages of the half, and North Park settled for a 1-0 lead at the intermission.

Forced to commit more numbers forward in the second half due to their one-goal deficit, the Thunder were hit on the counterattack as Flo smoothly linked up with attacking partner Tobias Lunde on a lightning-quick break to double the Vikings' lead at almost exactly the same point of the half as when their first goal arrived. From that point on, it was a simply a case of game management for the away side as they worked to stop Wheaton from carving their way back into the contest. The hosts created a couple of good looks around goal in the final moments, but North Park saw out the match professionally and punched their ticket to the CCIW Championship match in Naperville on Saturday.

Mason Escalante put in a fine shift in the Thunder net despite the team conceding twice, as the sophomore made six stops on the night. D'Argento led the Thunder with three shots, while five of his teammates each contributed one attempt. North Park registered 13 shots to Wheaton's eight and directed seven more efforts on target than their hosts managed. The Vikings earned eight corner kicks and Wheaton had four of their own. A chippy semifinal matchup saw 17 fouls called and three yellow cards handed out to either side.

While the Thunder will be disappointed not to make it back to the CCIW Championship for the second year running, they can reflect on an impressive first season under head coach Steve McCrath. The 2022 campaign saw the Wheaton men's team earn the program's first 4-0 conference road record since 2010, and this mark enabled the Thunder to outperform preseason expectations by clinching their highest conference finish since 2015 and earning the second seed in the CCIW Tournament.