CCIW Men’s Soccer Tournament: championship, Saturday, november 3

Game Three : Elmhurst vs. Wheaton, November 3, 4:30 p.m. @ Wheaton
Elmhurst and Wheaton will play for the right to go to the NCAA Tournament Saturday. The Bluejays are coming off a successful 14-4-2 season and second place finish. Wheaton, the defending national runner-up, enter the championship game having upset regular season champion Carthage Wednesday night. Elmhurst defeated Wheaton 2-1 in its previous match on October 26. In that game, Elmhurst’s Jake Pahr (Cary, Ill./Cary-Grove) scored off of an assist by both Colin Stringer (Bettendorf, Iowa/H.S.) and John Brehm (Sinking Spring, Pa./Wilson). Phil Ruskin (Gainsville, Fla./Buchholz) scored the Bluejays’ other goal while Wheaton’s Dolph Westlund (Bettendorf, Iowa/H.S.) scored the Thunder’s only goal of the game.

CCIW Men’s Soccer Tournament: Round One, Wednesday, October 31

Game One: Illinois Wesleyan @ Elmhurst, October 31, 2 p.m.
Elmhurst stormed through the regular season with a 14-4-1 record (6-1 in the CCIW) behind the play of two talented forwards. Freshman Jon Brehm and sophomore Jake Pahr were the Bluejays’ top two scorers as Brehm led the way with 36 points (14 goals, eight assists) while Pahr was second with 34 points (13 goals, eight assists). Britt Blackwell tallied 77 saves in 18 games while in goal for Elmhurst.

Jason Lopez and Jeff Carqueville were the scoring leaders for Illinois Wesleyan (6-11-0, 4-3-0) this season as Lopez led the way with 17 points (seven goals, three assists) while Carqueville tallied 14 points (six goals, two assists). Chris Sleezer tallied nine points (three goals, three assists) for the Titans this season.

Elmhurst defeated Illinois Wesleyan 2-1 during its regular season meeting on Sept. 30. Greg Henry and Pahr scored goals off assists from Lukasz Masolak and Andrew Smith respectively. Carqueville had Illinois Wesleyan’s only goal off a corner kick in the 73rd minute.

Game Two: Wheaton @ Carthage, Tuesday, October 31, 7 p.m.
Carthage (14-4-2, 7-0-0) earned its first men’s soccer conference championship in school history this season, beating Illinois Wesleyan 2-1 on Oct. 27 to earn the outright title. Greg Goldsberry scored the game-winning goal against the Titans to give his team the victory.

Goldsberry was Carthage’s second-leading scorer in 2007, tallying 18 points (seven goals, four assists). Brian Santella led all Red Men scorers with 24 points (10 goals, four assists). Andrew Connor led the way behind the net with 97 saves in 16 games played.

Defending national runner-up Wheaton (11-6-1, 4-3-0) was led this season by veteran Strider Elass who scored 27 points (nine goals, nine assists). Elass was one of four players in double figures in points as Matt Swartz (18) Joel DeLass (14) and Jason VanderVeen (10) all had double-digit scoring totals in 2007.

Carthage defeated Wheaton 1-0 in its regular season meeting on Oct. 24. The Red Men’s two leading scorers contributed in the victory as Santella scored off a Goldsberry assist.