Wheaton, Ill. -- After a back-and-forth midweek contest at Augustana, the Wheaton men's soccer team returned to Joe Bean Stadium on Saturday to face Carthage College in its latest conference test. Tonight's match was considerably stingier, as neither side found much joy in the attacking third. But a second-half goal and a strong defensive performance got the job done for Wheaton, with the hosts picking up an important three points. A second-consecutive 1-0 home win over the Firebirds means the Thunder possess a 2-1-1 record in CCIW play at the halfway point of their regular season conference slate.
Nine total shots were put on goal this evening, with Wheaton directing five attempts on frame to Carthage's four. The Wisconsin squad suffered from wayward finishing, missing the target on 15 of its 19 shots, while the Thunder tallied 11 efforts for the game. Wheaton carved out narrow advantages in corner kicks and ball possession at 9-7 and 51-49% splits, respectively, across the 90 minutes of play.
Reigning CCIW Offensive Player of the Week
Luke Vander Kolk netted his fifth goal of the season and second conference game-winner on Saturday while leading the team with two shots on target.
Cooper Falling and
Brody Prochnow assisted the deciding goal and each steered one attempt on target, with the latter earning his first collegiate point from Vander Kolk's winner.
Ashur Eshw also registered one effort on goal, and
Luke McGuire made four saves in the Thunder net to pick up his first league clean sheet.
Carthage began the game on the front foot and drew a stop from McGuire (
pictured right) just 90 seconds after kick-off. Wheaton shrugged off the early wave of pressure and tested the Firebirds' keeper with
attempts on target from Eshw and Falling either side of the 12-minute mark. Vander Kolk came close to opening the scoring in the first half when he forced an impressive diving save by the opposition shot-stopper on 32 minutes. The Firebirds mounted the final attack of the opening period and called McGuire into action once more to keep the match scoreless heading into the halftime break.
It was then the home side's turn to start the half with offensive momentum, as Wheaton generated a pair of corner kicks and began to pin its Kenosha visitor back in the defensive third of the field. The breakthrough arrived with 53 minutes on the clock when
Ben Foulk lofted a cross towards the top of the box and Prochnow acrobatically knocked it forward to Falling in space on the right wing. The junior whipped a delicious first-time ball across the face of goal, and Vander Kolk's positioning and timing was right on the money, as the senior striker poked home from close range to put the Thunder ahead (
VIDEO).
The guests responded to their setback with two shot attempts and a couple of corner kick opportunities, but Wheaton managed the danger and repelled these efforts. McGuire was required to make two saves in the final 15 minutes to preserve his team's shutout, and an offside flag denied Vander Kolk a well-taken second goal that would have prematurely sealed the points for the Thunder. But despite their best efforts, the Firebirds were unable to find a way through the well-organized Wheaton back line, and the hosts saw the game out to secure an important home win.
Wheaton will begin the second half of its conference schedule with a trip to Waukesha on Wednesday night to face the league's other Wisconsin program, Carroll University, in a 7 PM matchup. The Thunder will then return to Bean Stadium next Saturday for the team's Senior Night fixture against Elmhurst.
