WHEATON, Ill. – The fifth-seeded Carroll University men's soccer team saw its 2026 season come to an end Saturday afternoon, falling 5-1 to fourth-seeded Wheaton in the CCIW Tournament quarterfinals at Joe Bean Stadium. The Pioneers carried a 1-0 advantage into halftime before the Thunder scored five times in the second half. Carroll finishes the season with a 5-12-1 overall record.
Carroll struck first in the 20th minute behind Obada Altahat. Henry Picard delivered a low cross from the right side toward the top of the box, where Altahat finished past the goalkeeper for his third goal of the season. The assist went to Picard, and the goal gave the Pioneers a 1-0 lead at the 19:36 mark.
Angel Escamilla helped Carroll preserve that advantage throughout the opening half. Escamilla made two saves in the period as Wheaton generated 11 shots and five corner kicks, but the Pioneer defense kept the Thunder off the scoreboard to send Carroll into the break with the lead.
Wheaton found its response in the 56th minute when Jack Kern scored to bring the match level at 1-1. Just over two minutes later, Reuben Bos converted following a corner kick to put the Thunder in front, 2-1.
The Pioneers continued looking for an equalizer as the second half progressed. Nathan Patzer put an attempt on goal in the 56th minute, Giovanni Aguilar had a shot blocked in the 60th and Iskander Sharipov saw another effort blocked in the 70th. Carroll also earned all three of its corner kicks after halftime.
Wheaton eventually pulled away late, scoring three times in a span of less than four minutes. Luke Vander Kolk made it 3-1 at 81:00 before Ciaran Byrne added another 56 seconds later. Sam Brown completed the scoring at 84:34 to give the Thunder the 5-1 final.
Wheaton finished with a 23-6 advantage in shots and a 9-2 edge in shots on goal, while holding an 8-3 advantage in corner kicks. Escamilla finished with four saves in 90 minutes for the Pioneers. Altahat led Carroll with two shots, while Giovanni Aguilar also recorded two attempts.
The match closes Carroll's 2026 campaign with a 5-12-1 overall record, as the Pioneers capped the season with their 3rd consecutive CCIW tournament appearance.
