CCIW

[Gotberg]

The NPU roster is posted:  https://athletics.northpark.edu/sports/mens-soccer/roster?view=2

One interesting note is the return of Emil Svenander.  He wasn't on the roster last year, after having played the year before.  He's the forward that had transferred from Wingate University.

[Gregory Sager]

There are 61 players listed on the NPU roster, so I think Kris Grahn has broken his own record for the largest roster in league history.

Eight Vikings return whose 2024 starts were in double digits, and eight other returnees saw at least 200 minutes of action in 2024, and two-time All-Region CB Christian Vaaland is also back for another go-round after missing all but two games last season to a concussion, so there's a lot of experience present. This should be a very competitive Vikings team that has something to prove after their dispiriting first-round flameout in the 2024 D3 tourney.

[Kuiper]

CCIW has posted its Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll.  North Park is chosen to finish first almost unanimously (if coaches are permitted to vote for their own team, that would explain Carroll's one vote).

2025 CCIW Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
 Team (First-place votes)     Points
 1. North Park (8)     64
 2. Wheaton     55
 3. North Central     48
 4. Carroll (1)     45
 5. Illinois Wesleyan     31
 6. Carthage     28
 7. Millikin     25
 T8. Augustana     14
 T8. Elmhurst     14

[Gregory Sager]

CCIW has posted its Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches Poll.  North Park is chosen to finish first almost unanimously (if coaches are permitted to vote for their own team, that would explain Carroll's one vote).

2025 CCIW Men's Soccer Preseason Coaches' Poll
 Team (First-place votes)      Points
 1. North Park (8)      64
 2. Wheaton      55
 3. North Central      48
 4. Carroll (1)      45
 5. Illinois Wesleyan      31
 6. Carthage      28
 7. Millikin      25
 T8. Augustana      14
 T8. Elmhurst      14

You can't vote for your own team in CCIW coaches polls. The lone first-place vote for the Pioneers therefore belonged to NPU head coach Kris Grahn.

It's an interesting choice on Kris's part, given that North Central, Wheaton, and Carthage are the other three established powers in the league besides NPU, but it's not entirely shocking. The Pioneers finished third in the CCIW last season, and, although their number of returning starters (six) is fairly modest, one of those six is Marti Solanelles, the most electric offensive player in the league. The Barcelona native tied for the overall goal-scoring crown in 2024 with nine goals, and he achieved it in only 13 games before his season ended prematurely (injury, I assume) in the first half of Carroll's game against visiting Millikin.

The big news is that Carthage has been picked as low as sixth by the coaches -- and not that far above #7 Millikin, either. Even though Carthage hasn't posted its roster yet, a scan of the Firebirds roster from last season indicates that it's likely that Carthage will only return five starters from last year's squad, with the key being that the departed half-dozen includes Mickey Reilly and Aidan Crowder, arguably the best one-two scoring punch that the Carthage MSOC program has ever had. (If one of you old heads wants to put forth an argument for the Domin/Pryputniewicz duo back in the mid-'90s, when the Firebirds were still known as the Redmen, make your case. ) The Firebirds had a tough go of it last season, going only 6-8-2 overall and finishing out of the money in the CCIW in a seventh-place tie with Augie at 2-5-1, and I guess it's tough to envision Paul Leese being able to pick up the pieces from that down year so quickly while simultaneously losing so much firepower.

I'm interested in hearing from any Wheaton or NCC followers, if they're reading this, regarding the prospects for their respective teams in 2025.