Carthage Men's Soccer Release

December 15, 2011

Contact:

Steve Marovich, Sports Information Director (262) 551-5740

E-Mail: stevemarovich@tds.net or carthagesid@carthage.edu

Carthage Web Page: http://athletics.carthage.edu/index.aspx

Carthage 24-Hour Sports Hotline (262) 551-5388

No. 23 Men’s Soccer Edged by Calvin, 1-0, in NCAA First-Round Game;

Red Men’s Milan Tijanic and Zak Khoshbin Named NSCAA All-Region

2011 NCAA Championship: The Carthage College men’s soccer team (14-6-2, 5-1-1 College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin), ranked 23rd in the Nov. 8 National Soccer Coaches Association NCAA Division III poll and third in the Nov. 8 NSCAA Central Region poll, saw its 2011 season end on Friday night, Nov. 11 with a 1-0 loss to Calvin College (16-5-1, ranked fourth in the Nov. 8 NSCAA Central Region poll) in a first-round NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship at the Loras College Rock Bowl in Dubuque, Iowa. Carthage entered the contest with a seven-game winning streak and a 13-1-2 mark since Sept. 16. No. 12 Loras (17-3-2, ranked second in the Nov. 8 NSCAA North Region poll) blanked Minnesota-Morris (11-5-4), 2-0, in the other first-round game. Calvin (17-5-1) shut out Loras (17-4-2), 4-0, in a Saturday, Nov. 12 second-round contest. Carthage made its second NCAA appearance. The 2007 team lost to Washington University (Mo.), 2-1, in a first-round game.

North Park Also Qualifies for the NCAA Championship: CCIW-runner-up North Park University received an at-large berth to the NCAA Division III Men’ Soccer Championship, but the Vikings (11-4-3) lost to No. 18 Luther College (16-3-2), 4-1, in a first-round game on Saturday, Nov. 12 at Luther. No. 7 St. Olaf College (17-3-1) defeated Carroll University (Wis., 11-8-1), 3-1, in the other first-round contest. Luther (17-3-2) edged St. Olaf (17-4-1), 1-0, in a Sunday, Nov. 13 second-round game.

2011 CCIW Tournament: Carthage won the 2011 CCIW Men’s Soccer Tournament on Saturday night, Nov. 5 with a 3-2 win, in overtime, over North Park University (11-3-3, 4-2-1) in the tournament’s title game at Carthage’s Art Keller Field in Kenosha, Wis. The Red Men, the regular-season champions, were the top-seeded team in the tournament, with the Vikings seeded second. Carthage defeated fourth-seeded Elmhurst College (8-7-4, 3-2-2 CCIW), 4-3, on Wednesday night, Nov. 2 in a semifinal game, also at Art Keller Field. North Park edged third-seeded Wheaton College (Ill., 10-8-2, 4-2-1 CCIW), 2-1, in the other semifinal contest at the Holmgren Athletic Complex in Chicago. The Red Men’s last three wins, going back to the regular-season finale at Illinois Wesleyan University on Oct. 29, have all been overtime affairs.

Milan Tijanic and Zak Khoshbin Named All-Region: Carthage goalkeeper Milan Tijanic (Jr., Glenview, Ill./Park Ridge-Maine East, 1.32 goals-against average, 84 saves, 6 shutouts) and defender Zak Khoshbin (Sr., Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) were named National Soccer Coaches Association of America third-team All-Central Region. In addition, the two were named NSCAA first-team All-Wisconsin, as was midfielder/forward Billy Hamilton (Jr., Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator, 4 goals, 5 assists). Midfielder Greg Pignataro (Sr., Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs, 7 goals, 2 assists) earned second-team All-Wisconsin honors. Forward Michael Dombrowski (Fr., Johnsburg, Ill., 10 goals) and defender Mike Heika (So., Inverness, Ill./Palatine-Fremd, 4 goals, 4 assists) were named third-team all-state. Steve Domin was named NSCAA “Wisconsin Coach of the Year.” "As with most post-season awards,” said Domin, “it’s a reflection of our team's performance, and it certainly helped that we represented the state of Wisconsin in the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship. Both Milan and Zak had very steady years, and both are well deserving of the all-region and all-state honors. I am truly humbled by being named the Wisconsin “Coach of Year,” particularly with the depth of schools fielding quality soccer teams in Wisconsin right now."

Five Red Men Named All-CCIW: Five Carthage players were named to the 2011 All-College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Men’s Soccer Team, three to the first team. The three first-team members were defender Zak Khoshbin (Sr., Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich), goalkeeper Milan Tijanic (Jr., Glenview, Ill./Park Ridge-Maine East, 1.32 goals-against average, 84 saves, 6 shutouts) and midfielder Billy Hamilton (So., Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator, 4 goals, 5 assists). Forward Michael Dombrowski (Fr., Johnsburg, Ill., 10 goals) and midfielder Greg Pignataro (Sr., Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs, 7 goals, 2 assists) earned second-team All-CCIW honors. Khoshbin was named CCIW “Men’s Soccer Player of the Year,” and Steve Domin garnered CCIW/Joe Bean “Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year” honors for the third time. Khoshbin is Carthage’s second conference “player of the year.” Mike Domin was named “co-player of the year” in 1997. Khoshbin and Pignataro both earned second-team all-conference honors in 2010.

Carthage at the CCIW Tournament: Since the CCIW launched its post-season tournament in 2002, Carthage has qualified for nine of the 10 events and the last eight in a row. The Red Men have lost in the semifinals seven times but advanced to the championship game in 2008 and took Wheaton College (Ill.) to a 0-0 tie in double-overtime. The Thunder received that year’s automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship, 4-3 on penalty kicks.

The Coach: Steve Domin completed his 17th season as head coach in 2011 (171-128-31, 17 years). Domin, who was named head coach in 1995 when Carthage resumed varsity soccer for the first time since the mid-1980s, was tabbed as the CCIW/Joe Bean "Men’s Soccer Coach of the Year” for the 1996, 2007 and 2011 seasons and National Soccer Coaches Association of America “Wisconsin Coach of the Year” in 2011. He also coached the Carthage women’s soccer team from 1995 to 2004, compiled a 130-59-9 record over 10 seasons and was named CCIW “Co-Coach of the Year” in 2001.

The Polls: Messiah College (18-0-1) was ranked first in the Nov. 8 National Soccer Coaches Association of America NCAA Division III poll, followed by St. Lawrence University (16-0-1) second, Christopher Newport University (17-0-1) third, Amherst College (14-1-2) fourth, Trinity University (Texas, 14-1-2) fifth, Ohio Wesleyan University (18-2-0) sixth, St. Olaf College (16-3-1) seventh, Dominican University (Ill., 18-2-0) eighth, Rutgers-Camden (16-2-2) ninth and Ohio Northern University (18-2-2) ranked 10th. Carthage College (14-5-2) was ranked 23rd in the national poll. Dominican (Ill., 18-2-0) was ranked first in the Nov. 8 NSCAA Central Region poll, followed by Washington University (Mo., 14-3-1) second, Carthage College (14-5-2) third, Calvin College (15-5-1) fourth, Hope College (15-4-3) fifth, CCIW-member North Park (11-3-3) sixth, Greenville College (13-6-3) seventh, Trine University (13-5-2) eighth, Olivet College (14-7-1) ninth and Westminster College (Mo., 11-4-4) ranked 10th. Dominican (Ill., 16-2-0 overall record, 16-2-0 in-region mark) was ranked first in the Nov. 2 NCAA Central Region poll, followed by Washington (Mo., 13-3-1, 12-3-1) second, CCIW-member North Park (10-2-3, 9-2-3) third, Calvin (14-4-1, 12-3-1) fourth, Hope (12-4-3, 11-4-3) fifth and Trine (12-4-2, 12-4-2) ranked sixth.

The Conference: The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin, in its 66th year in 2011-12, first sponsored men's soccer as a championship sport in 1988, and Wheaton College (Ill.) has won a league-leading 16 titles. North Park University has won three league championships. Carthage College and North Central College (Ill.) have won two titles each, with Augustana College (Ill.), Elmhurst College and Millikin University winning one time. Carthage won its first league championship in 2007 and won again in 2011. Defending-champion Wheaton (Ill., 4 first-place votes, 45 points) and North Park (also 4 first-place votes, 45 points) tied for first place in the 2011 pre-season coaches poll, followed by Carthage third (34 points), Elmhurst and Illinois Wesleyan University tied for fourth (30 points each), Augustana (Ill., 19) sixth, North Central (Ill., 13) seventh and Millikin (8) eighth.

CCIW Players of the Week: Wheaton College (Ill.) forward Adam Blackman (Fr., Urbana, Ill.) was named College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin “Men’s Soccer Offensive Player of the Week” on Nov. 1, while Carthage College defender Zak Khoshbin (Sr., Hawthorn Woods, Ill./Lake Zurich) earned “defensive player of the week” honors. Blackman scored the game-winning goal in the 83rd minute of Wheaton’s 1-0 victory over Illinois Wesleyan University on Oct. 26. He also added a goal in a 6-0 win over Millikin University on Oct. 29 that helped secure the Thunder a spot in the CCIW Men’s Soccer Tournament. Khoshbin helped anchor a Red Men defense in a 1-0 win over then-No. 13 North Park University on Oct. 26 and a 3-2 overtime win over Illinois Wesleyan on Oct. 29. The win over Illinois Wesleyan, along with North Park’s loss to North Central College later that same night, gave Carthage the outright CCIW title, its second in conference history and first since 2007.

CCIW Championship Structure: The CCIW determines its men’s soccer championship by points, with each team receiving three points for a regular-season conference win, one point for a tie and no points for a loss. The conference plays a post-season tournament to determine its automatic qualifier to the NCAA Division III Men’s Soccer Championship. The top-four teams, by CCIW-championship points, qualify for the CCIW Men’s Soccer Tournament. The top-two seeds will play host to semifinal games on Oct. 31, 2012. In even years, If either host-school has earned the right to play host to semifinal matches in both men’s and women’s soccer, then the women’s game involving that school only will be played on the previous day. In odd years, that same conflict would require the men’s game to be played on the previous day. This would only apply to the schools where there is a conflict. The highest-remaining seed in the tournament, following the semifinals, will play host to the championship game on Nov. 3, 2012, with that winner securing the automatic qualifier. In the event of a tie in a tournament-semifinal game, penalty kicks will determine which team advances to the tournament-championship game. In the event of a tie in a tournament-championship game, the two teams are declared tournament co-champions, with penalty kicks determining which team receives the league’s automatic qualifier.

Art Keller Field: Art Keller Field, located on the Carthage campus, opened on Sept. 24, 1966. The west side of the field, received all-new seating for 986 fans prior to the 1996 season, and lights were added in 1997. In 2000, thanks to a major gift from David and Gael Romoser, a state-of-the-art AstroPlayâ surface was installed on Art Keller Field. A new scoreboard was installed in 2004, a new press box was constructed on the east side in 2005, a new entry way and exterior fencing were added in 2006, and the facility was re-surfaced with FieldTurf® in 2008. The pressbox was torn down in 2010 and replaced in 2011 with the current press box as part of the construction of the student services building. All-new seating for 1,432 spectators was also added in 2011 on the east side of the field just below the press box. Current seating for the facility is 2,418 plus space for approximately 500 standing room, for a total capacity of 2,948 people.

2011 CCIW Tournament Semifinal Notes: Carthage took a 1-0 first-half lead on a goal by Jordan Innis (Jr., Lake in the Hills, Ill./Crystal Lake-South), assisted by Rafael Zalewski at 14:54. Much of the second half was played in a driving rain. Elmhurst tied the game, 1-1, at 70:57 on unassisted goal by Matt Sterner, his 10th of the year. The Red Men re-gained the lead, 2-1, at 77:37 on a goal by Billy Hamilton (So., Arlington Heights, Ill./St. Viator), his fourth of the year and assisted by Mike Heika. The Bluejays came right, less than a minute later, when Sterner scored his goal to re-tie the game at 2-2. Elmhurst took a 3-2 lead at 83:20 on a goal by Austin Haas, his fifth of the year, and assisted by Sterner. Carthage made it a 3-3 game at 87:04 when Rafal Zalewski (Sr., Schiller Park, Ill./Franklin Park-East Leyden) scored his fourth goal of the season, unassisted. The Red Men’s Michael Dombrowski (Fr., Johnsburg, Ill.) scored the game-winning goal at 93:15 in overtime, his 10th goal of the year and assisted by Dylan Tucker. “They call me the ‘Super Sub,’ the spark off the bench,” said Dombrowski. “I enjoy being a freshman. It’s good to see how the game’s going before I get to go in. It helps me understand, helps me play better.” “Truth be told,” said Carthage coach Steve Domin, “when we were down 3-2 with four minutes left, you start thinking about end-of-the-year speeches, loving your seniors and all that stuff. One of the boys on the sideline just yelled, ‘We’re not done playing yet.’” (courtesy of the Kenosha News)

“Had you been able to look into the future, and told me this would have been another barn-burner,” continued Domin, “I don't think I would have been all that surprised. We have found unique ways to win all year. In the last two or three matches we have been in a couple tights spots and ultimately took advantage of every minute available to us. While we certainly don't want to be in that situation all the time, it’s nice to know we can do it regularly. We were able to score several times in the elements, into a fierce wind and rain which escalated to the point in the second half to where we were essentially running and kicking uphill. I think the conditions had a lot to do with the game, and I am proud our guys. We were down but never out, and we’re really starting to catch fire. You have to give a handful of credit to Elmhurst, as they simply did not quit. With us having the run of play in the first half and a lead, they could have packed it in. Elmhurst made a nice run at the end of the year, and it’s apparent how they were a regionally-ranked team. Every team in this league is so strong, nobody is going to say mercy--that's what I love about athletics at this level.”

2011 CCIW Tournament-Championship Game Notes: In front of a raucous crowd of 627, about evenly divided between Carthage fans and “Carlson Crazies,” the Red Men took an early lead when Greg Pignataro (Sr., Algonquin, Ill./Jacobs) scored his seventh goal of the year, unassisted, at 9:35. “At the start of the game,” said Carthage coach Steve Domin, “headed into the wind, I thought we were going to get an education from a very strong North Park team, but us scoring first settled things down.” The Vikings answered six minutes later when Kris Grahn scored his sixth season goal, assisted by Flip Lindmark, at 15:27 to tie the game at 1-1.

Mike Heika (So., Inverness, Ill./Palatine-Fremd) scored for the Red Men at 48:24 to open the second period, giving Carthage a 2-1 lead. The Vikings tied thing up again, 2-2, at 62:20 on a goal by Markus Fodstad, assisted by Lindmark. That’s the way things stayed through the end of regulation. The Red Men won the contest five minutes and thirty seconds into the overtime when Christian Harvey (So., Woodstock, Ill.) scored his first goal of the year, assisted by Billy Hamilton. Carthage out-shot North Park, 18-15. “Give some credit to North Park,” said Domin. “They just never went away. We probably could have played for another 40 minutes trading attacks. I was concerned trying to shut down the best player in America in Jonas Pettersson, and trying to find a game plan to defeat a team that we just beat eight days ago, but Will Veliz and Zak Khoshbin were up to the test on the defensive end. There are no days off in the CCIW, and tonight highlighted that."

“Doubt is interesting thing to cast on a group,” said Domin. “After our first two games, and losing the bulk of our returning starters to injuries, we struggled to find an identity. This win cemented what we are, which is the ‘can do kids.’ Frankly, I just want to make sure the experience is fun for the boys and share the minutes. Too often, they have to live up to everyone else's expectations, but tonight, they lived up to their own. This group used that doubt, and built on it the whole season. I feel like I talk about it every week, but our league is just so tough. Although we were on the right side of this win tonight, North Park has been on their fair share as well.”

"The CCIW should have three teams in the NCAAs,” concluded Domin. “I know that’s a long shot, but the games played in our conference are the biggest games we play all year, and we played one of the toughest schedules in the country. You could substitute any of the teams in our league into this match and probably get the same result. Tonight marked the 300th time I have been on the sidelines when a Carthage team has won, including the women’s games I coached. I am certainly proud of 300 wins in my career, but it means more to me that it happened on the day the CCIW regular-season champions won the CCIW tournament final. That doesn't happened too often"

2011 NCAA First-Round Game Notes: In the loss to Calvin, neither team scored in the first half. “Dominating the first half, 11-4 in shots, and not getting on the scoreboard was the difference in the game,” admitted Carthage coach Steve Domin. “Having that much run of the play and being tied at half gave Calvin some life.” A shot by the Knights’ Mike Sanderson was blocked by Red Men goalkeeper Milan Tijanic at 76:08, but Calvin’s Nick Holtrop scored on a header at 76:26 for the game’s lone goal. Carthage out-shot Calvin, 18-12, and the Red Men also had a 6-2 edge in corner kicks. “I thought we had one more comeback in us,” said Domin. “We owned most of the statistics, but we were on the wrong side of the most important one. Calvin has a great tradition in men’s soccer, but that didn’t faze our boys. We have a classy bunch of kids who bleed Carthage and pull for each other. Despite the result, I’m proud of what we accomplished this year.”