Wheaton, Ill. -- Saturday marked a significant occasion on the Wheaton women's soccer team's 2025 schedule, as the College celebrated its annual Homecoming festivities and the Thunder played a conference match for the first time this fall. Elmhurst University provided today's opposition at Bean Stadium, and the Bluejays came into the contest owning an 8-1-1 record and impressive offensive and defensive numbers so far this year. But the Thunder outworked their local guests and notched a 1-0 victory on home turf this afternoon to extend Wheaton's 15-match winning run over Elmhurst that dates back to 2013. Saturday's result moves Wheaton's season record to 4-3-3 overall and 1-0 in CCIW action.

The Bluejays entered today's game having already scored 29 goals this season, but the Thunder put in a smothering defensive performance to collect a third-consecutive clean sheet. The hosts limited their visitors to just four shot attempts in the 90 minutes of play and not a single effort on target. Wheaton enjoyed considerably more attacking freedom and fired off 13 shots while putting four efforts on frame, drawing three saves from Elmhurst's goalkeeper. The Thunder also controlled the ball well throughout the matchup and forced the Bluejays to play the game at Wheaton's tempo by tallying 59% of the possession. Both teams took two corner kicks on Saturday.

The offensive statistics were not plentiful for either side in this afternoon's low-scoring affair, but Lily Lindquist netted the game-winner and led all players today with two shots on goal. Grace Crowder and Cami Tofilon each registered one attempt on target, while Emily Setran logged her second assist of the year on Lindquist's decisive strike. Leah Roe is unlikely to enjoy many more straightforward outings than the one she did on Saturday, as the freshman shot-stopper was not required to make any saves en route to her CCIW-best sixth shutout of the season.

Today's match got off to a cautious start, with the first shot attempt not occurring until the 15th minute when Setran went close with an effort at goal. Elmhurst then came within inches of opening the scoring via a 35-yard heave that nicked off the top of the Wheaton crossbar. But the remainder of the first half settled into a cagey rhythm, and neither team asked too many questions of the opposing defense before the halftime horn sounded at 0-0.

Wheaton's scoreless drought stood at 11-straight halves heading into Saturday's second period, but any discouragement that the players may have been feeling was not evident as the Thunder began the half with obvious purpose and belief. The hosts fired off two attempts in the first three minutes of play following the intermission and earned a corner kick opportunity to increase the pressure on the Bluejays' back line. Elmhurst survived this flurry and another shot from Wheaton in the 53rd minute, but the home side's momentum paid off in the 54th when Setran received the ball from Crowder on the left wing and danced past a pair of recovering Elmhurst players before slipping an excellent lateral pass into the path of Lindquist. The junior midfielder collected the ball on the semicircle at the top of the Bluejays' box and promptly ripped a powerful strike into the upper left corner of the net to break the deadlock and tally her team-leading third goal of the campaign. (VIDEO)

The Thunder celebrated their deserved lead with the sizable Bean Stadium crowd cheering them on, but they did not rest on laurels and continued to push forward in hopes of extending their advantage. Lindquist and Crowder each forced diving saves from the Bluejays' keeper just four minutes after the former's goal, and the visitors were close to being out of the game as Wheaton turned up the heat. The hosts' last effort on frame came from Tofilon in the 71st minute, while Elmhurst's best attacking spell did not arrive until the final ten minutes of the contest. The visitors' desperation to find an equalizer and maintain their six-match unbeaten run resulted in two corner kicks and a heart-in-mouth moment for the Thunder, as the Bluejays' leading scorer redirected an effort inches wide of the post from a good position in the box. But this near-miss was the guests' last chance to salvage something from the game, and Wheaton managed to see out a warranted win in front of the home faithful to maintain their exceptional head-to-head form against Saturday's rivals.

After checking off today's special occasion with an important victory, the Thunder women's squad will spend the coming midweek away from the pitch and will return to action next Saturday. Wheaton heads into the Windy City to take on North Park University in a 5 PM contest.