CCIW

[Gregory Sager]

CCIW opening day results are in:

(Well, sort of opening day. Elmhurst and Carthage got a head start last Wednesday, with the 'jays topping the Firebirds 1-0 in Kenosha.)

Illinois Wesleyan 1, North Central 1 in Naperville
Carroll 0, Augustana 0 in the QC
North Park 3, Wheaton 2 in Chicago
Millikin 2, Carthage 0 in Kenosha

Initial thoughts:

* Not used to seeing Carthage start off 0-2, especially when those two initial losses involved being shut out at home by teams that aren't typically upper-echelon CCIW outfits. The Firebirds are certainly having some struggles this season.

* Is Millikin for real? The Big Blue started off the season with three ugly losses, but they've taken care of business lately, and for now I'll credit them with a quality win yesterday at Keller Field.

* Illinois Wesleyan has zero quality wins -- the Titans have played an absurdly easy schedule to date -- but drawing at NCC yesterday was certainly an impressive result. Gotta give them that.

* Speaking of the Cardinals, those three straight games they played against MI Double A teams, all on the other side of the lake, really seem to have knocked them down a peg or two. And yesterday's outcome against IWU didn't help matters.

* Wheaton has a craptastic record this season, but don't be fooled by that. And don't be fooled either by the ridiculously lopsided statistics against them in their two losses in the Windy City over the past four days. The Orange and Blue are a decent team that can take a lot of blows and then get you with outstanding counters. Aside from their two-goal loss to PLU nobody's beaten them by more than a single goal this year, including the two Chicago-based powerhouses. They'll be heard from in the CCIW race.

* I'm really starting to like this North Park team. The Vikings aren't flying under the radar anymore, since they're receiving votes in the national poll, but they seem to be embracing their lot as the primary CCIW contender du jour. They're taking care of business against lesser teams and finding ways to beat the better ones.