WAUKESHA, Wis. – The regular season is complete and postseason soccer has arrived for Carroll University, as both Pioneer soccer programs will compete in the opening round of the 2026 CCIW Championships on Saturday, Oct. 31.

Carroll's men enter the tournament as the No. 5 seed and will travel to Wheaton to face No. 4 seed Wheaton College at 2 p.m. at Joe Bean Stadium. The Pioneer women earned the No. 6 seed and will head to Bloomington, Illinois, for a 6 p.m. matchup against No. 3 seed Illinois Wesleyan University at Neis Field.

Both contests carry straightforward stakes. Win and advance to Wednesday's CCIW semifinals.

For the Carroll men, Saturday represents an opportunity to turn the page following a challenging conclusion to the regular season. The Pioneers finished 5-11-1 overall and 3-4-1 in CCIW play to secure the No. 5 seed in the six-team field. 

Carroll's season has included flashes of what the Pioneers are capable of when their attack finds its rhythm. One of the most important performances came just one week before the postseason when sophomore midfielder Iskander Sharipov helped lead Carroll to a 3-2 conference victory at Elmhurst. Sharipov scored two goals over Carroll's two matches that week, including the game-winner against the Bluejays, while putting four of his five shots on goal. 

The Pioneers have received offensive contributions from several players during the closing stretch of the season. Nathan Patzer, Pablo Segura Larraz, Ignacio Sanz, Liam Stokes and Obada Altahat were among those generating opportunities in recent matches as Carroll continued searching for ways to create pressure going forward. 

Now, the Pioneers enter Saturday with an opportunity to extend their season against a Wheaton squad that earned the fourth seed and home-field advantage for the quarterfinal round. A Carroll victory would send the Pioneers to Naperville on Wednesday, Nov. 4, for a 5 p.m. semifinal against top-seeded North Central.

While the Carroll men will begin the Pioneer postseason doubleheader in Wheaton, the women's team will take the field four hours later with an opportunity to revisit one of its biggest victories of the regular season.

Carroll enters the women's championship as the No. 6 seed after navigating a closely contested CCIW schedule. The Pioneers earned their spot in the postseason despite closing the regular season with a 1-0 loss to North Park on Wednesday at Schneider Stadium. Carmella Nowak paced the Carroll attack in the finale with five shots and three shots on goal, while Ava Lewandowski made five saves to keep the Pioneers within one throughout the match. 

Saturday's matchup with Illinois Wesleyan also brings some familiarity with it.

Carroll earned a 3-2 victory over the Titans at Schneider Stadium on Oct. 17, making the most of its opportunities in one of its most significant wins of the conference season. 

Michaela Williamson opened the scoring late in the first half with her first goal of the season, giving Carroll a 1-0 advantage at the break. Harlie Seuser doubled the lead in the 64th minute before Illinois Wesleyan quickly answered to make it 2-1. Ellie Pierson then delivered what proved to be the game-winning goal in the 72nd minute, restoring the Pioneers' two-goal advantage. 

Illinois Wesleyan pulled one back in the 79th minute, but Carroll protected its advantage over the closing stretch. Ava Lewandowski finished the match with eight saves as the Pioneers held on for the 3-2 victory despite Illinois Wesleyan finishing with an 18-6 advantage in shots. 

The first meeting demonstrated the importance of making opportunities count. All three of Carroll's shots on goal found the back of the net, while the Pioneer defense and Ava Lewandowski handled sustained pressure at the other end. 

Since that victory, the Pioneers have continued through a demanding closing portion of their CCIW schedule. Carroll earned a 2-2 draw against Carthage that featured a pair of assists from Carmella Nowak and goals from Gabby Courtois and Madison Milhaupt. 

Saturday provides an opportunity to build from those experiences with the season on the line.

A victory in Bloomington would advance Carroll to the semifinals on Wednesday, Nov. 4, where the Pioneers would travel to No. 2 seed Elmhurst for a 4 p.m. matchup at Langhorst Field.

The CCIW Tournament features the top six teams from the final regular-season standings on both the men's and women's sides. The No. 1 and No. 2 seeds receive quarterfinal byes, while seeds three through six begin competition Saturday. Each round is hosted by the higher seed, with the CCIW Championship matches scheduled for Saturday, Nov. 7.

If a tournament match remains even following 110 minutes, the contest is recorded as a tie for both teams, with penalty kicks determining which team advances.

After a regular season that tested both Carroll programs in different ways, Saturday offers something much simpler: an opportunity to keep playing.

Two teams. Two road quarterfinals. Two chances to advance.

Saturday's CCIW Quarterfinals

Men's Soccer
No. 5 Carroll at No. 4 Wheaton
Saturday, Oct. 31 | 2 p.m.
Joe Bean Stadium | Wheaton, Ill.
Winner advances to face No. 1 North Central on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 5 p.m.
Stats: https://athletics.wheaton.edu/sidearmstats/msoc/summary
Video: https://cciwnetwork.com/wheatoncollege/?B=4715758

Women's Soccer
No. 6 Carroll at No. 3 Illinois Wesleyan
Saturday, Oct. 31 | 6 p.m.
Neis Field | Bloomington, Ill.
Winner advances to face No. 2 Elmhurst on Wednesday, Nov. 4 at 4 p.m.
Stats: https://www.iwusports.com/sidearmstats/wsoc/summary
Video: https://www.cciwnetwork.com/iwutitans/