Already boasting a conference title and national ranking, the Sandburg men’s soccer team now aims to make another addition to its resume: Region 4 champion.
The Chargers (11-2-3), who appeared at No. 19 in the NJCAA Division II rankings Monday afternoon, will host Triton in the first round of the Region 4 Division II tournament at 2:30 p.m. Thursday at Kleine Field. The game will be streamed on the Sandburg YouTube channel, weather permitting.
Sandburg is the No. 5 seed in the region tournament, and Triton (10-5-2) is the lowest seed in the bracket at No. 12. The winner will play at fourth-seeded Elgin in the quarterfinals at noon Sunday. The Chargers and Trojans faced each other early in the regular season, playing to a 1-1 draw on Aug. 31 in Galesburg.
The winner of the Region 4 tournament advances to the NJCAA Division II Men’s Soccer Championship from Nov. 17-23 in Huntsville, Ala. Sandburg has never won the Region 4 tournament, but the Chargers did represent the region at the national tournament in 2021.
Sandburg enters the postseason on a six-game winning streak and eight-game unbeaten streak. The Chargers’ last loss took place Sept. 16 against Harper. Sandburg has outscored its opponents 51-2 during its win streak and 56-5 during its unbeaten run.
The Chargers last played Oct. 18 at Illinois Valley and came away with a 3-0 win to clinch their second straight Arrowhead Conference title.
This is the first time this season that Sandburg has been nationally ranked, though the Chargers had been among others receiving votes on multiple occasions. Fellow Region 4 schools Prairie State (No. 11), Elgin (No. 13) and Moraine Valley (No. 15) also joined Sandburg in this week’s national rankings.
REGION 4 DIVISON II MEN’S SOCCER TOURNAMENT
First round (All games at 2:30 p.m. Oct. 31)
Game 1 — No. 9 Madison at No. 8 Oakton
Game 2 — No. 12 Triton at No. 5 Sandburg
Game 3 — No. 11 Harper at No. 6 Morton
Game 4 — No. 10 Bryant & Stratton at No. 7 South Suburban
Quarterfinals (All games at noon Nov. 3)
Game 5 — Winner 1 at No. 1 Moraine Valley
Game 6 — Winner 2 at No. 4 Elgin
Game 7 — Winner 3 at No. 3 Rock Valley
Game 8 — Winner 4 at No. 2 Prairie State
Semifinals (2:30 p.m. Nov. 6 at better seeds)
Game 9 — Winner 5 vs. winner 6
Game 10 — Winner 7 vs. winner 8
Championship
3 p.m. Nov. 9 at Madison
***Courtesy of Carl Sandburg College***
