RIVER FOREST, Ill. – The Concordia University Chicago (CUC) Cougars continued their run through Northern Athletic Collegiate Conference (NACC) play. Check out all the action below.
 
Women's Soccer (3-6-1, 2-1-1)
The Cougars went 1-1 this week.
 
On Wednesday, CUC took on Illinois Tech under the lights at Stuart Field. The Cougars held the game close through the first half, but the Scarlet Hawks pulled away in the second half, taking the game 6-0. Naomi Gonzales (Santa Rosa, Calif.) protected the net for 74 minutes, collecting nine saves while Katelyn Wagner (Lagrange, Ky.) stepped in for the final 16 minutes and amassed 11 saves.
 
The Cougars returned home on Saturday to host Lakeland University. CUC proved to be the better side from the opening whistle and took a dominant 4-0 victory. Erika Flores (Oxnard, Calif.) led the team with two goals and added an assist. Alexa Martinez (Downey, Calif.) and Grace Chavez (Morgan Hill, Calif.) also scored while Sofia Cazares (Rockford, Ill.) and Stacey Maskery (Alfreton, England) each contributed an assist.
 
Before Saturday's game, CUC honored its six seniors,  Luciana Morán Cruz (Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico), Izzy Fairless (Royal Oak, Mich.), Quetzalli Arteaga-Vazquez (Harrisonburg, Va.), Valeria Canelo (Chicago, Ill.), Maggie Shultz (Lowell, Ind.), and Julia Urbanczyk (New Lenox, Ill.).
 
This week, the Cougars continue NACC play. On Wednesday, September 30, CUC welcomes Aurora University to Concordia Stadium. Kickoff will be at 2:00 pm. Then on Saturday, October 3, the Cougars travel up to St. Norbert College (SNC) for a 3:30 pm kickoff.
 
Men's Soccer (2-5-1, 1-3)
CUC men's soccer also took on Illinois Tech and Lakeland at home.
 
Against Illinois Tech, the Cougars went down early and couldn't claw back, falling 3-0. Nethan Gudiel (Chicago, Ill.)  recorded seven saves in net. Alexander Barrera (Chicago, Ill.) had two shots on goal while Damian Navas (Chicago, Ill.) had one.
 
A few days later, the Muskies of Lakeland came to River Forest. It was a back-and-forth game, but ultimately, Lakeland walked away with the 1-0 win. Miguel Salamanca (Chicago, Ill.) led the team with four shots, two of which were on frame. Gudiel made four saves.
 
This week the Cougars hit the road for both games. On Wednesday, September 30, CUC plays Aurora at 7:00 pm. Then on Saturday, October 3, the Cougars play St. Norbert at 1:00 pm.
 
Women's Volleyball (5-7, 1-0)
Women's volleyball opened NACC play this week.
 
The Cougars took on Rockford University on the road on Wednesday. After four sets, CUC came out on top, 3-0. Neva Foster (Parker, Colo.) led the squad with 12 kills. Indiah Day (Merrillville, Ind.) had a strong night on the court with nine kills, an ace, a block, an assist, and 14 digs. Malainna Adler (Fenton, Mo.) picked up 24 assists while Rosemary Brenner (Frankenmuth, Mich.) registered a team-leading 18 digs.
 
This week the Cougars will play two more NACC matches. On Thursday, October 1, CUC heads to Edgewood University for a 6:00 pm start time. Then on Saturday, October 3, the Cougars host St. Norbert at 12:00 pm.
 
Cross Country
CUC races again on Saturday, October 3. The Cougars head to West Allis, Wis. for the Steve Travis Invitational, hosted by Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC).
 
Women's Tennis (0-6, 0-3)
The team played one match this week.
 
CUC played Illinois Tech on Tuesday and fell 7-0. Brianna Bentz (Whitehall, Mich.) and Hannah Upole (Hinkley, Ohio) teamed up at No. 2 doubles. It was the closest doubles match of the day as the teams battled but Illinois Tech took the match 6-4. Both the duos of Amelia Engelman (McKinney, Texas) and Amirah Shakir (Dekalb, Ill.) and Sarah Gustafson (Merrill, Wis.)  and Abigail Krueger (Brookfield, Ill.) dropped their respective doubles matches, 6-2. Upole had a competitive performance at No. 4 singles but ultimately fell 7-5, 6-3. Gustafson also had a long hard-fought battle at No. 6 singles, falling 7-5, 6-1.
 
The Cougars have an action-packed week with four matches. On Wednesday, September 30, CUC takes on Wisconsin Lutheran College (WLC) in a NACC matchup. First serve will be at 7:00 pm up in Milwaukee, Wis. The next day, CUC takes a break in conference play to face Elmhurst University on the road at 3:00 pm. The Cougars return home on Saturday, October 3. They welcome Illinois College to CUC Courts and first serve will be at 2:00 pm. The final match of the weekend will be Sunday, October 4 at 12:00 pm. CUC will head to Glen Ellyn, Ill. to compete against College of DuPage.

Men's Tennis (0-1, 0-0)
The men's tennis team will travel to Elmhurst for a 3:00 pm match.
 
Football (3-0, 1-0)
CUC is back in action on Saturday, October 3. They will head up to Mequon, Wis. to face Concordia University Wisconsin (CUW) at 2:00 pm.
 
Esports
The Smash team competed in the placement tournament this past week. In their first match, the Cougars fell 12-10 to University of Southern Mississippi (USM). Cameron Hall (Chicago, Ill.) took one stock on Snake before losing his three stocks. Luis Cortes (Maywood, Ill.) was able to grab one stock before losing his own three on Ridley. James Bruxvoort (Holland, Mich.) grabbed two stocks before losing all of his on Banjo. Newcomer Giovanni Jaramillo (Stone Park, Ill.) had an outstanding debut with Samus, taking six stocks of USM's before falling to their final player. USM took the game, 12-10. The Cougars then faced Carroll University. Cortes started with King K Rool and took four stocks before dropping three. Hall secured one stock with Snake before losing his three stocks. Jaramillo followed up with Dark Samus, collecting two stocks before falling to his opponent. Bruxvoort closed the match by taking three stocks of Carroll's before dropping his final stock. The Cougars fell 12-10 to Carroll, finishing 0-2 in the placement tournament.
 
The Overwatch team also competed in their placement tournament. After Emporia State University forfeited the first match, CUC moved on to face Griz Sunset of University of Montana and fell 2-1. The Cougars then faced Emporia State again, and this time were able to beat them outright, 2-0.
 
Both squads await to see what group they will be placed in for the regular season.
 
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.