RIVER FOREST, Ill. – Last week was jam-packed with homecoming festivities campus-wide, including a plethora of Concordia University Chicago (CUC) athletics events. Take a look at all the action and strong performances from our teams.
 
Women's Soccer (6-10-1, 5-5-1)
CUC competed in two Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) games this week. The Cougars went 1-1, with their victory on Sunday clinching a spot in the NACC Playoffs.
 
The squad first hosted Edgewood University on Wednesday where they fell, 2-1. Elle Wheelock (Holland, Mich.) scored the Cougars' lone goal while Katelyn Wagner (Lagrange, Ky.) made three saves in net. Erika Flores (Oxnard, Calif.) recorded three shots with one on goal.
 
On Sunday, CUC welcomed Marian University to Concordia Stadium. Needing to win or tie to clinch a spot in the playoffs, the Cougars came out strong and blanked the Sabres, 2-0. Reagan Espinoza (Ventura, Calif.) scored her first collegiate goal to give the Cougars the lead while E. Flores scored the second. Mia Hirayama (Mililani, Hawaii) assisted both goals. The Cougars clinched the eighth seed in the NACC playoffs and return to the postseason for the first time since 2024.
 
The Cougars finish out the regular season on Wednesday, October 28. CUC will take on Division Street rival, Dominican University, on the road at 3:00 pm. Then, the team will kick off the postseason by taking a short trip over to No. 1 seed Illinois Tech. Kickoff is set for 1:00 pm.
 
Men's Soccer (3-10-2, 2-8-1)
CUC men's soccer also played Edgewood and Marian.
 
Against the Eagles, the Cougars fell 4-0. In goal, Nethan Gudiel (Chicago, Ill.) made seven saves. Offensively, Adrian Adame (Cicero, Ill.) and Victor Camacho (Chicago, Ill.) each had two shots and one shot on goal. Daniel Gutierrez (Chicago, Ill.) also had a shot on goal.
 
Then on Sunday, CUC returned home and hosted the Sabres. It was a fantastic day, with four different Cougars scoring in the 4-1 victory. Jefferson Garcia (Crystal Lake, Ill.),  Alexander Barrera (Chicago, Ill.), Roman Klozik (New Lenox, Ill.), and Cristian Barajas Vargas (Cicero, Ill.) each put their name on the scoresheet. Garcia and Barrera led the Cougars with two shots each. Three Cougars picked up assists, including  Ronald Bardales (Zion, Ill.), Giovanni Flores (Chicago, Ill.), and Damian Navas (Chicago, Ill.). In goal, Chase Zizak (Muskegon, Mich.) made six saves. Before the game, CUC honored its lone senior, Garcia, for his contributions to the CUC men's soccer program.
 
The Cougars finish out the regular season at home on Wednesday, October 28. They host Dominican at 2:00 pm at Concordia Stadium.
 
Women's Volleyball (8-14, 4-4)
Women's volleyball competed in two NACC matches this week.
 
The Cougars opened the week with a trip up to Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW). The team gave it their all but fell 3-0. Indiah Day (Merrillville, Ind.) and Neva Foster (Parker, Colo.) led the Cougars with seven kills each. Rosemary Brenner (Frankenmuth, Mich.) and Lariah Marshall (Carbondale, Ill.) each recorded eight digs while Malainna Adler (Fenton, Mo.) added 11 assists.
 
On Saturday, the Cougars traveled back up north, this time to Marian. The Cougars had a strong outing, sweeping the Sabres, 3-0. Foster led the squad offensively with 11 kills and contributed an assist and a block. Day followed with nine kills while also tacking on two service aces, two blocks, and seven digs. Jessalyne Perkins (Chicago, Ill.), Harmonie Cooper (Chicago, Ill.) and Ava Quevedo (Colorado Springs, Colo.) all stood firm at the net, each totaling six blocks. Quevedo also contributed five kills while Perkins recorded three service aces. Beatriz Goncalves (Belo Horizonte, Brazil) and Adler registered 13 and 12 assists, respectively.
 
This week, CUC competes against Aurora University on the road at 7:00 pm on Thursday, October 29. Then on Saturday, October 31, CUC returns to Geiseman Gymnasium and welcomes the Raiders of Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). The match will begin at 12:00 pm.
 
Cross Country
The Cougars compete on Saturday, October 31 at the NACC Championships in Batavia, Ill. The women race at 11:00 am while the men's race will begin at 12:00 pm.
 
Football (4-3, 2-3)
The Cougars hosted Benedictine University and fell 40-20. Colton Bosch (Coopersville, Mich.) finished with 264 passing yards, including three touchdown passes. Kevon Lawson (Pompano Beach, Fla.) led the receivers with six catches for 94 yards, including a 53-yard touchdown. Wesley Jackson (Robinson, Ill.) and Caleb Nellans (Winter Garden, Fla.) each added a touchdown for the Cougars. Joron Brown (St. Joseph, Mich.) rushed for 68 yards on 22 carries. Defensively, Kadin Stroer (Warrenton, Mo.) had 10 tackles, five of which were solo.
 
CUC's next game will be Saturday, October 31. The Cougars will take on Eureka College on the road at 1:00 pm.
 
Esports
Both the Smash team and Overwatch team competed this week.
 
The Smash team defeated North Park University, 2-0. In game one, Cameron Hall (Chicago, Ill.) used Snake against the Vikings to create success, taking eight stocks before losing his three in very close matches. Then, Giovanni Jaramillo (Stone Park, Ill.) took three stocks before losing his three and James Bruxvoort (Holland, Mich.) took the final stock to win game one. In game two, the Cougars started with Jaramillo on Samus. He kicked it into high gear and took 11 stocks in a row before losing his three. Bruxvoort finished off the Vikings, grabbing the last stock to secure the 2-0 victory. The Cougars improve to 3-1 on the season and will play Illinois State University White on Tuesday, October 27 at 7:00 pm.
 
The Overwatch team defeated Hamline University 3-0. In game one, the Cougars got their choice and chose a map they knew well, Ilios. CUC secured the first point with perfect positioning. The Cougars didn't let up and secured the next point to win game one, 2-0 and take a series lead, 1-0. Luis Cortes (Maywood, Ill.) had a fantastic game one with a new hero, Sombra. Cortes went 16-19-1 and did 3k damage and 6k healing. In game two, Hamline chose to take the game to Eichenwalde, a map that the Cougars have played several times in the last few seasons. Hamline took a 1-0 lead, but the Cougars' defense held strong. The offense regrouped and took the next two points to take a 2-1 victory and go up 2-0 in the series. Connor Bleazard (Saint Joseph, Mo.) and  Ephraim Fisher (Yorkville, Ill.) played perfectly, creating chances for the Cougars to keep their foot on the pedal. In game three, Hamline chose to go to Survasa. CUC got off to a good start on Flashpoint, taking the first two points before dropping the third. Not wanting to let Hamline have a chance to get back into the match, CUC secured the fourth point to win the game, 3-1, and the overall match, 3-0. Myla Arganoza (River Grove, Ill.) and Jaramillo played a perfect backline, fending off Hamline's attacks. The Cougars improved to 3-1 on the season and have a bye week. They will return to action on Friday, November 6 at 7:00 pm against University of
 
You can keep up with all things CUC Athletics on X @CUChicagoSports, watch all the action at cucougars.com/coverage, and view all photos from the seasons here.