RIVER FOREST, ILL. — It was an action packed week in the world of Concordia University Chicago (CUC) athletics, with several teams picking up their first wins of the season, while several others, such as women's soccer and women's volleyball, continued to play well and pick up wins.  

Women's Soccer (4-3, 0-0)

The week started with an honor for CUC's junior goalkeep; for the second straight week, Brooke Sheriff (Simi Valley, Calif.) was named Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) Defensive Player of the Week. In the prior week of play, Sheriff secured two shutouts in the three starts she made, as she snagged 16 total saves during the week while allowing just three goals. 

Women's soccer's first game of the week came on Wednesday, a 2-0 loss at the University of Dubuque. Sheriff picked up another eight saves, while Allie Brown (St. Louis, Mo.) appeared in all 90 minutes of action.

CUC got back in the win column on Saturday, taking down Great Lakes Christian College 2-0 to remain undefeated when playing in River Forest. Pamela Saldivar (Chicago, Ill.) opened the scoring with her penalty kick goal, while Sofia Cazares (Rockford, Ill.) added the insurance marker for Concordia. And six saves earned Sheriff her fourth shutout of the season. 

Conference play opens up this week for Concordia, beginning with a game at Rockford University on Wednesday, Sept. 18, at 2 p.m. Then, on Saturday, Sept. 21, the Cougars travel to Lakeland University for a 3:30 p.m. game. 

Men's Soccer (1-3, 0-0)

Men's soccer kicked off their week in a big way on Tuesday, defeating Kuyper College 3-1 for CUC's first win since 2022. Spencer Nicholson (Fort Collins, Colo.) opened the scoring for CUC, making it his second game in a row with a goal. Garrett Poynter (Noblesville, Ind.) then added the eventual game-winning goal, and Omar Figueroa (Chicago, Ill.) potted Concordia's third goal of the day, tying this win for the team's highest scoring game under head coach Brad Callahan. 

The Cougars closed out the week with a home match against Hope College on Friday, where Hope scrapped out a 2-1 win. Filip Tokarz (Bartlett, Ill.) put CUC ahead 1-0 less than three minutes into the game, but CUC could not hold down a talented Hope roster. Despite the loss, Kyle Schultz (Pingree Grove, Ill.) made five saves. 

The men's soccer squad also opens conference play this week, and it starts with a home game versus Rockford on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at 2 p.m. A trip to Lakeland is then on the docket for Saturday, Sept. 21, with the game starting at 1 p.m.

Cross Country

Both cross country teams appeared at the Ken Weidt Classic this past weekend. For the men's team, CUC came away with 11th place out of the 13 teams present. Nathaniel Hernandez (Norridge, Ill.) finished first amongst Cougar runners with his time of 31:54.1, a new personal best for the freshman. Four other Cougars ended up setting new personal records as well. 

On the women's side, Concordia took home ninth of 14 competing teams. Ariel Martinez (Berwyn, Ill.) led CUC with her run of 26:09.7, and Tegan Oas (Shingle Springs, Calif.) finished just 43 second behind Martinez. Four total runners set new personal bests.

It is a short turnaround for Concordia, who now prepares for the Gil Dodds Invitational on Saturday, Sept. 21. The women's team race at 9 a.m., while the men's squad takes off at 9:45 a.m., and the race takes place at St. James Farm Forest Preserve in DuPage County. 

Women's Volleyball (5-4, 0-0)

Women's volleyball was at Wheaton College (Ill.) this weekend for the Marilyn Scribner Invitational, playing in three games between Friday and Saturday.

CUC downed Beloit College on Friday, 3-0. Malainna Adler (Fenton, Mo.) dished out 33 assists while also picking up three service aces. On the defensive end, Bethany Roethel (Westby, Wis.) had 12 digs and six aces.

On Saturday, the Cougars played in a pair of games, starting with a 3-2 win over Lawrence University. Brooke Christensen (Blaine, Minn.) was a dual-threat for CUC, picking up 18 kills and 17 digs. Neva Foster (Parker, Colo.) was also in double-digit kills with 14. Roethel worked her way up to 26 digs, and Adler hit 53 assists. 

CUC closed out the tournament with a 3-0 loss at the hands of the host, Wheaton. Lili Hunt (Greenfield, Ind.) was CUC's kill leader with 10, and Jessalyne Perkins (Chicago, Ill.) was a monster on the frontline for CUC, making six blocks. 

NACC play begins this week on Wednesday, Sept. 18, with a trip to Wisconsin Lutheran College at 6 p.m.

Women's Tennis (2-2, 2-1)

It was an undefeated week for women's tennis, who picked up two conference wins. 

First was Wednesday's 4-2 win over Lakeland. Jessica Parker (Lake in the Hills, Ill.) and Tatiana Overton (Bolingbrook, Ill.) won the number one doubles match 6-4, while Amirah Shakir (Dekalb, Ill.) and Demi Presto-Martin (Brookfield, Ill.) won their doubles match by default. In singles play, Parker won her match, and Kamila Giza (East Dundee, Ill.) and Evian Dubon (Franklin Park, Ill.) won their singles matches by default. 

On Saturday, the Cougars picked up another win, this one being a 7-0 victory over Marian University. Overton and Shakir, Parker and Presto-Martin, and Giza and Mary Curtis (Worden, Ill.) were the doubles winners for CUC, while those six each won a singles match as well. 

It is a busy upcoming week for CUC, with only one conference game on the schedule. That NACC game is on Tuesday, Sept. 17, at the Illinois Institute of Technology at 7 p.m. Then on Saturday, Sept. 21, the squad plays a doubleheader at Elmhurst University versus Illinois College at 12 p.m. and then Elmhurst at 3 p.m. The week closes out on Sunday, Sept. 22, with a trip to Saint Mary's College (Ind.) for an 11 a.m. game. 

Football (1-1, 0-0)

It was a thrilling Saturday in River Forest where a last minute missed field goal from Manchester University secured a 28-27 win for CUC, the team's first of the season and Chase Hankins first as head coach. The connection between quarterback Colton Bosch (Coopersville, Mich.) and receiver Jayce Levy (Davenport, Iowa) was on point all day, with the duo connecting for three touchdowns. Joron Brown (St. Joseph, Mich.) added a rushing touchdown, and Devin Bledsoe (St. Charles, Mo.) led the receivers with 86 receiving yards. Isaac Young (Jackson, Mich.) did well on the defensive end, leading the team with seven total tackles, and Marvin Rushing (Detroit, Mich.) forced a fumble that was recovered by Louis Mobley (Indianapolis, Ind.). 

The Cougars open conference play this Saturday, Sept 21, at home against Lakeland. Kickoff is set for 1 p.m.