RIVER FOREST, Ill. – It was another full week of Concordia University Chicago (CUC) athletics that came with some big home victories. Check out everything that happened.
 
Women's Soccer (0-4-1, 0-0)
Women's soccer played three non-conference games this week.

The Cougars hosted Carthage College on September 3. It was a hard-fought battle, but CUC ultimately fell 2-0. Both Naomi Gonzales (Santa Rosa, Calif.) and  Katelyn Wagner (Lagrange, Ky.) split time in net, with Gonzales making five saves and Wagner picking up four.

Two days later, CUC ended their stretch of home games with a 4-0 loss to the University of Dubuque. Julia Urbanczyk (New Lenox, Ill.) led the Cougars with two shots on goal. Gonzales got the start in goal and grabbed 11 saves, while Brooke Sheriff (Simi Valley, Calif.) and Wagner split time in goal in the second half.

CUC hit the road and traveled to Beloit College on September 7. The Cougars surged in the second half, outshooting the Buccaneers 13 to 1. Angelina Barreno (Chicago, Ill.) scored the Cougars' lone goal, as they walked away with a 1-1 tie.

This week, women's soccer will play two non-conference games on the road. CUC will play Saint Mary's College (Ind.) in Notre Dame, Ind. at 3:00 pm (EDT) on Thursday, September 11. Then, they will play Kalamazoo College in Kalamazoo, Mich. on Saturday, September 13. Kickoff will be at 12:00 pm (EDT).
 
Men's Soccer (1-2-1, 0-0)
CUC played three more home games this week.

On Labor Day, the Cougars hosted Andrews University and picked up their first win of the season, 6-2. Michael Senese (Naperville, Ill.) picked up his first career hattrick, leading the offensive charge. Justin Ocampo (Melrose Park, Ill.), Evin Perez (Crystal Lake, Ill.), and Roman Klozik (New Lenox, Ill.) also put their names on the scoresheet.

Two days later, CUC hosted Blackburn College and fell 3-1. Goalkeeper Nethan Gudiel (Chicago, Ill.) made a season-high nine saves on 25 shots faced. Senese once again led the squad offensively with four shots, three of which were on target.

The Cougars wrapped up the week hosting Caltech. Six Cougars recorded shots on the day, including  Juan Moresco (Mercedes, Soriano), Isaac Hernandez (Crystal Lake, Ill.), Giovanni Lechuga (Monrovia, Calif.),  Miguel Figueroa (Chicago, Ill.), Ocampo, and Senese. However, CUC would fall 3-0.

This week the Cougars play two non-conference games. University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point (UWSP) comes to River Forest on Thursday, September 11 for a 2:00 pm kickoff. Then on Saturday, September 13, CUC will travel to Eureka, Ill. for another 2:00 pm kickoff.
 
Women's Volleyball (2-3, 0-0)
The women's volleyball team competed in only one match this week, having its home opener.

The Cougars came out strong against Blackburn on Saturday, September 6, sweeping the Beavers 3-0. Lili Hunt (Greenfield, Ind.) led the offense with 15 kills, followed closely by Indiah Day (Merrillville, Ind.) who recorded 11. Rachel Livesay (Medinah, Ill.) was strong on both sides of the court, posting nine kills and nine digs. Harmonie Cooper (Chicago, Ill.) registered three solo blocks while Janelle White (Morton Grove, Ill.) led the squad with 18 digs. Malainna Adler (Fenton, Mo.) and Eva Fitzgerald (Houston, Texas) had all-around great play where Adler had 24 assists, 10 digs, and two aces, and Fitzgerald had 15 assists and four aces.

This week, CUC will travel to Wheaton, Ill. for the Marilyn Scribner Invitational. On Friday, September 12, CUC will face Lawrence University at 4:00 pm. The following day, the Cougars will play UWSP at 10:00 am and Wheaton College at 3:00 pm.
 
Cross Country
The Cougars will race on Saturday Sept. 13, at the Spartan XC Classic in Geneva, Ill.
 
Football (1-0, 0-0)
The Cougars opened the season with a huge home victory on Saturday.

CUC defeated the University of Minnesota-Morris, 17-16. Colton Bosch (Coopersville, Mich.) led the offensive charge with 13 completed passes for a total of 157 yards. Joron Brown (St. Joseph, Mich.) recorded a career-high 152 rushing yards with one touchdown. He also had the longest rush of the day with a 48-yard dash. Kevon Lawson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) picked up a career-high 29-yard reception, as he led the squad with seven receptions for 73 yards. Also picked up a career-high was Jayden Taylor (Southfield, Mich.), making a 32-yard reception.

Defensively,  Zack Puracchio (Channahon, Ill.) stood out in his collegiate debut, leading the way with two forced fumbles and eight total tackles, five of which were solo. Kadin Stroer (Warrenton, Mo.) recorded a career-high nine tackles, seven of which were solo. Jordan Lacey (Belleville, Ill.) had the lone sack of the day. Vincent Pagenkopf (Waukesha, Wis.) put 188 yards on kickoffs while Diego Márquez (Berwyn, Ill.) put up two successful PATs on top of one 33-yard field goal.

The Cougars will head to North Manchester, Ind. to take on Manchester University on Saturday, September 13 at 1:00 pm (EDT).
 
Women's Tennis (0-2, 0-1)
The women's tennis team competed in three matches this week.

The Cougars competed in a preseason matchup with Waubonsee Community College on Thursday, September 4, winning 8-1.
The next day, CUC faced Lawrence in the season opener, falling 7-0. In all three doubles matches, the Cougars would win at least one game. At No. 1 doubles,  Amelia Engelman (McKinney, Texas) and Amirah Shakir (Dekalb, Ill.) managed to steal a pair of games in the set, but would fall 6-2. The remaining duos both fell 6-1, as Kathleen Castillo (Elmwood Park, Ill.), Hannah Upole (Hinkley, Ohio), and Courtneye Schneider (Plainfield, Ill.) each made their debut.

CUC opened conference play on Saturday, September 6, traveling to Milwaukee, Wis. to face Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). The team battled but fell 7-0 to the Raiders. Engelman and Shakir were able to pick up a game in their doubles match. In singles, Shakir was able to steal game wins in both sets but dropped her match in two 6-2 sets. Upole also picked up a game, falling 6-0, 6-1.

The Cougars have two conference matches this week. They will host Lakeland University on Wednesday, September 10 at 3:00 pm. CUC will then travel to Fond du Lac, Wis. on Saturday, September 13 to face Marian University.
 
You can keep up with all things CUC Athletics on Twitter @CUChicagoSports, watch all the action at cucougars.com/coverage, and view all photos from the seasons here.