Chicago, Ill. -- As a result of its penalty shootout victory over North Central College on Wednesday night, the Thunder men's soccer team has advanced to the 2026 CCIW Men's Soccer Championship match. Wheaton, the #4 seed in this year's conference tournament, will head into Chicago this weekend to face second-seeded North Park University in the title game. Kick-off is scheduled for 5 PM on Saturday at North Park's Holmgren Athletic Complex. 

Wheaton is making its first appearance in the CCIW Championship game since 2021 and 15th overall, the most of any conference program. The Thunder last won the CCIW Tournament in 2014 and are seeking a league-best 10th tournament trophy on Saturday. North Park, this year's CCIW regular season co-champion with #1 seed North Central, is returning to the conference final for the third-consecutive season and hoping to claim the program's first CCIW Tournament title since 2019 and sixth overall.

This weekend's contest will mark the fifth time that the Thunder and the Vikings have faced off in the CCIW Championship, the most recent of which took place in 2012. North Park owns a 3-0-1 record against Wheaton in CCIW Tournament finals, with the Thunder's only head-to-head success coming from a penalty kick shootout following a 1-1 tie in the 2012 matchup.

Tickets for Saturday's Championship match can be purchased here. The price of admission is $11 for adults and $6 for senior citizens (65 and older), grade school students, and kids ages six and above. Children five years old or younger get in free of charge, as do students of CCIW institutions upon presentation of a current student ID. Season passes and pass lists will not be accepted.

Tickets can also be purchased for the same prices through a QR code at the stadium gate on Saturday. Cash payments are not accepted; Credit/debit cards must be used to purchase tickets.

The CCIW Championship match will be live streamed at this link free of charge: https://cciwnetwork.com/northpark/?B=4757786

Live statistics for the game can be accessed here: https://athletics.northpark.edu/sidearmstats/msoc/summary

In addition to claiming the CCIW Tournament crown, the winner of Saturday's championship match will earn the conference's automatic bid to the upcoming 2026 NCAA Division III Men's Soccer Championship.