Chicago, Ill. -- Renewing their annual non-conference rivalry, the Wheaton and UChicago men's soccer teams met in the Windy City on Wednesday night. The latest edition of this storied matchup yielded eight goals and plenty of drama as the Thunder erased a three-goal deficit in the first half before a controlled second-half display saw the home side emerge with a 5-3 win. Wheaton's loss to the eighth-ranked team in the country drops their season record to 1-4-1 overall, while the Maroons improve to 5-1 in 2024.

Tonight's meeting marked the eighth-consecutive occasion in which Chicago was ranked in the top ten of the national United Soccer Coaches poll when facing the Thunder. With impressive wins over #1 St. Olaf and North Central already on the Maroons' resumé, the visitors knew it would take a special effort to knock off their talented UAA opponents this evening. Just as they did two years ago in head coach Steve McCrath's first game against UChicago, Wheaton refused to make it easy for their hosts and staged a valiant comeback attempt to give the Maroons a scare on their own turf. But the home side had enough skill and savvy to eventually claim a high-scoring victory and continue the bright start to their season.

Wednesday's match began in the worst possible fashion for the Thunder, with UChicago scoring three times in the opening ten minutes to race out to a sizable lead. The opening stage of the contest was entirely one-way traffic, as the Maroons registered the first six shot attempts and two corner kicks. But Wheaton finally began to play their part on 18 minutes when a Pryse Anderson effort on goal drew the first save from Chicago's shot-stopper, and Anderson's strike partner Kyle Johnson followed up on the rebound to give the Thunder an avenue back into the contest. The hosts responded with another flurry of attacking chances, but this time Wheaton was able to repel the danger. It was officially game on in the 38th minute when Johnson netted his second goal of the night and third of the season via an assist from Luke Vander Kolk to pull the scoreline back to 3-2. Stunned, the Maroons managed just one more shot in the remainder of the half and were forced to play on the back foot by an inspired Wheaton attack. The visitors' increasing pressure and belief paid off in the last minute of the first 45, as Vander Kolk went from supplier to scorer and grabbed his first goal in Orange and Blue after being set up by Jack Kern. A remarkable turnaround effort from the Thunder saw them wipe out an early 3-0 deficit on the road to a top ten team and extinguish the confidence of their big city rivals heading into the intermission.

Unfortunately for the underdogs in tonight's meeting, the halftime break came just at the right time for Chicago, and they used the interval to refocus and reestablish control over proceedings. Wheaton's surge of momentum from the last ten minutes of the first half was halted when the Maroons claimed their fourth goal of the evening just one minute into the second period. The home side then displayed an excellent level of game management and allowed Wheaton to get only one shot attempt off before the final five minutes of the contest. UChicago took a big step towards securing the victory when they made it 5-3 with a goal in the 78th minute, but their level of defensive control after halftime was equally important in deciding the final outcome of Wednesday's thriller. Wheaton finally generated some offensive momentum in the last five minutes and fired off a pair of shots and two corner kicks, but the Maroons kept the door closed at the back and held on for a notable win.

Tonight's action-packed encounter saw 29 total shot attempts across the 90 minutes, with the home side holding a 13-5 edge in efforts on target. The Maroons also took twice as many corners as the Thunder did at an 8-4 split. But Wheaton saw 48% of the ball possession in the contest, a strong figure considering the opposition. 25 fouls were called in Wednesday's non-conference battle, and five yellow cards were brandished by the head official with three Thunder players entering the referee's book.

Johnson netted his first brace of the season to inspire Wheaton's first-half comeback, and the junior was the only Thunder player to post multiple shots on target tonight. Vander Kolk had a standout performance, contributing one goal and one assist, and he was joined in the assist column by Anderson and Kern. Anderson, Vander Kolk, and Cooper Falling each placed one effort on goal. Keeper Jack Krahel had a busy evening of work and made eight saves between the posts for Wheaton.

After three consecutive road games, the Thunder men will return to Joe Bean Stadium on Saturday afternoon to take on another opponent from the UAA, Washington University (Mo.). Kick-off between the Thunder and the Bears is scheduled for 3 PM in Wheaton.