The NCC men’s soccer team came into this season looking to avenge a disappointing end to the 2019 campaign, On November 6 two years ago, they lost on penalties to Illinois Wesleyan University in the CCIW tournament. This year, they’re on an impressive streak heading into the postseason.
With two games remaining in the regular season, the Cardinals sit with a record of 16-1-1, their most impressive season this decade. The team’s only loss so far was on Oct. 16 against North Park University, a game where the Cardinals lost by a score of 2-1 in overtime.
Marquardt’s emergence
One of the key factors in helping the Cardinals have a successful season thus far is the man protecting the net. Sid Marquardt ‘23 has been one of the stand-out players for the team. Marquardt has allowed only seven goals all season, along with ten shutout victories, which is good for the most in the country. He also has a save percentage of .880, the thirteenth-best rate in the country. On Oct. 5, he was named CCIW Defensive Player of the Week when the Cardinals had back-to-back shutout wins against Millikin University and ranked Carthage College, their lone ranked matchup of the season. In the 15 games that Marquardt has played in this season, he has only allowed the ball to be in the back of his net three times.
“I had confidence in myself that I was going to be able to perform at this level, but soccer isn’t just one player,” said Marquardt. “Having all the guys in front of me and the depth off the bench all working hard and performing well is a huge relief.”
Offensive success
The offensive attack for the Cardinals has also been firing on all cylinders. The team has two players with six goals each, two more with five goals, one with four goals, and 16 different players can all claim a goal scored so far this season. The leading player for the team in points is Dane Richardson ’25 with 17 points so far this season contributing six goals and five assists. The ability to be flexible with the scoring options has allowed the Cardinals to be dangerous, as it isn’t just one man leading the charge.
“It is super nice to have everyone chipping in for goals. Not only does it help everyone’s confidence, but it shows how good we are attacking wise this year” said defenseman Johnny Kraemer ‘22.
Coach Fuschino’s milestone win
The age-old saying is that experience is priceless. For the Cardinals’ coach, Enzo Fuschino, that rings true. Coach Fuschino joined the team in 2019 after coaching at the University of Wisconsin-Platteville, where he recorded 129 wins. On Sep. 26, Cardinals took down Aurora University by a score of 2-0, and Coach Fuschino earned his 150th career win as a collegiate head coach.
Heating up towards the end
In the first NCAA regional rankings of the season, the Cardinals were ranked in the top eight in Region VIII. After the Cardinals suffered their first loss to North Park, the team dropped four places in the D3soccer.com Week 7 National Rankings, falling from 14th to 20th in Division III. Then, they dropped from 20th to 24th in the latest ranking. North Park now sits at 14th in the latest polls, following Week 8.
The team only has one remaining CCIW match left in the regular season. The Cardinals’ senior night will be against Carroll University on October 30. They won the 2019 matchup by a score of 3-1.
“We are very confident right now with how we have been performing, but we are making sure we don’t underestimate anyone. If we get overly confident then we may end up losing what we have worked for all season” said Kraemer.
The team’s remaining schedule can be found here.
