Men's Soccer

1935 

Wheaton travels to Urbana on October 5th for the First varsity soccer game in the college's history. The IIIini defeat Wheaton 1-0 in the first game and win 2-1 one week later with Howard Moffett scoring the first goal ever for the Crusaders. Wheaton's first victory comes against Mooseheart 3-1 on a pair of goals by Howard Moffett and a single tally by Paul Schoonmaker. 

1936 

Goalie Howard Fischer registers the first shutout ever for the Crusaders as Wheaton defeats Mooseheart 6-0. Wheaton posts an undefeated 3-0-0 record. 

1937 

The Crusaders first Eastern trip results in a 2-3 record despite the loss of Howard Moffett to an appendicitis. Wheaton's first night game is a 4-2 loss to the semi-pro Oak Park Acorns on Wheaton Community High School's Grange Field. The overall record is 4-4-0. 

1938 

Wheaton defeats Oberlin 3-0 to lay claim to the unofficial collegiate championship of the Midwest. Howard Moffett becomes the first Wheaton player to score a hat trick in a 4-3 overtime loss to Slippery Rock during a 6-2-0 season, and ends the year with eight goals. 

1939 

Wheaton wins four games in the area before traveling East where they post a 1-5 record for an overall slate of 5-50 in Coach Jim McKellin's last of five seasons. 

1940 

Under the direction of Don Moore, the Crusaders produce a 4-5-1 record including a 1-4-0 mark on the annual Eastern trip. 

1941 

Ken Hammonds takes over as coach when a knee injury limits his playing time on a fifth Eastern trip. 

1942 

Wheaton defeats Morton Junior College 6-0 to wind up the first undefeated intercollegiate season in the school's history. The Crusaders post a 4-0-1 record against other colleges and lose but one game, to a semi-pro team. Wheaton also regains the unofficial title of Midwestern Intercollegiate Champions with a 2-0 defeat of Oberlin. Stacey Roberts has eight goals for the season to tie the record and player/coach Jack Rosser adds five more. 

1943 

"Chips" Williits, Wheaton's third player/coach in as many years, leads the Crusaders to a second straight Midwestern Intercollegiate championship and a second undefeated record of 4-0-0. Howard Abrahamsen and Carlton Frush score against Oberlin to give Wheaton a 2-1 victory and the mythical championship. 

1944 

Howard Phillips takes over the duties of player/coach and in the only intercollegiate soccer game played in the Midwest, Wheaton defeats Oberlin on a goal by Henry Garland. 

1945 

Wheaton takes its first Eastern trip since 1941 which results in all four losses of a 2-4-1 season. 

1946 

Player/coach Ralph Phillips replaces his brother Howard at the helm and leads the Crusaders to a third undefeated season as the team's top scorer. Two goals each by Phillips and Tom Moffett and single goals by Jerry Elder and Sherwood Roach give Wheaton a convincing 6-0 victory over Oberlin during a 5-0-2 campaign. 

1947 

Carroll Rinehart combines coaching with graduate school with a 4-2-0 record the result. Aaron Gamede becomes the first to score four goals in a single game to lead Wheaton to a 6-4 victory over Oberlin. 

1948 

A 3-2 upset victory over Oberlin ends the season on a high note and gives the Crusaders a break-even record under player/coach Dave Devries. 

1949 

Wheaton's 100th soccer game is a 3-0 victory over the University of Chicago as Aaron Gamede scores a hat trick on his way to tying the single season scoring record with eight tallies. Coach Wes Morris' team posts a 5-2-1 record with both losses coming on the Eastern Trip. 

1950 

Wheaton joins the newly formed Midwest Collegiate Soccer Conference (MCSC) and promptly takes home the championship with a 3-1 league record. The Crusaders seven victories are a new team record and Tony Acuna provides another "first" as he receives honorable mention from the All-America board. 

1951 

Bob Baptists begins his 16 year tenure at the helm of Crusader soccer with a 4-3-1 record. Chuck Joss earns honorable mention All-America and Sam Gray sets a new single season record with nine goals. 

1952 

Ron Loeacher becomes the first Crusader to score in double figures as he boots home 12 goals in nine games. Loescher has four goals in a game against Morton Junior College to tie another school record as the Crusaders finished second in the MCSC. 

1953 

Keith Baylor and Paul Clark are both named honorable mention All-America for the Crusaders, who finish for a tie for second in the MCSC. 

1954 

Paul Clark becomes Wheaton's first All-America first team selection to cap an outstanding career that brought All-Conference and All-Midwest honors three straight years. 

1955 

Wheaton loses but one game during the season but a season ending tie with Navy Pier hands the MCSC title to Indiana. David Arnold is named to the All-America first team and matches Paul Clark's record of All-Conference and All-Midwest in three straight years. 

1956 

Mike Easterling (1st team) and Bob Adolf (2nd team) are picked for the All-America team as juniors as Wheaton breaks even with a 4-4-2 record. 

1957 

Wheaton places three men on the All-America team for the first time but finishes in a tie for third in the MCSC. Mike Easterling is again the first team All-America goalkeeper, Bob Adolph repeats as second team All-America, and Cliff McCrath earns honorable mention honors. 

1958 

Wheaton earns a share of the MCSC championship under interim coach Cliff McCrath despite an overall record of 4-5-2. Ron Pott and Carl Cox are both given honorable mention on the All-America team. 

1959 

Wheaton again earns a share of the MCSC championship with a pair of stunning victories over Michigan State and St. Louis on successive weekends. The Spartans fall by a 4-3 score in overtime on a goal by Dick Fincher and a hat trick by Pete Bennett. In the first televised game in Wheaton history. Eventual NCAA Champion SI. Louis suffers its only loss of the season when Dave Voss and Pete Bennett score in a 2-1 victory one week later. A 2-1 win over Chicago gives Wheaton a share of the MCSC title with St. Louis. It is the seventh one goal victory in an 8-1 season, and the 100th win in Wheaton soccer history. 

1960 

Bob Bowers sets a new Wheaton single game scoring record with five goals against the University of Chicago during a 5-5-0 season. 

1961 

Paul Roberts scores four goals against Gordon and sets a new single season mark with 15 tallies while fullback Bob Holmes is named to the All-America second team. 

1962 

Wheaton makes its first appearance in post-season play with a third place finish in the NCAA Mid-East Regional and an overall record of 9-3-2. Bob Holmes again receives All-American honors (honorable mention) as the Crusaders set a new standard for victories with nine. 

1963 

A second straight trip to the Mid-East Regional nets Wheaton a tie for third when the Crusaders and Lake Forest battle to a scoreless tie despite two overtimes. NCAA champion St. Louis finishes ahead of Wheaton in the MCSC Western Division as the Crusaders post a 7-5-1 record. 

1964 

The Crusaders first game on East McCully Field is a 2-0 victory over Philadelphia Bible College in the 250th game ever. The last game of the season is a 3-1 victory over Akron for Wheaton's first ever Mid-East Regional championship. Steve Bell, Bob Roxburgh, and Jim Adare do the damage in the title game as the Crusaders post their tenth win, a new single season high. 

1965 

Wheaton battles eventual NCAA champion St. Louis to a scoreless tie in regulation, but falls 1-0 in two overtime periods. No MCSC standings are kept for the first time in 15 years and Dave DeRoche is named honorable mention. 

1966 

Joining the new Michigan, IIIinois, Indiana Soccer Conference (MIISC). Wheaton duplicates its entrance into the old MCSC by winning the conference title with an undefeated 11-0-3 record to boot. Lake Forest gains a 1-1 tie with the Crusaders when a Forester goal goes unnoticed until after the game, but Wheaton prevails in then replay 3-0 behind substitute goalie Ivan Ediger. Lake Forest is again the victim in the NCAA mid-East Regional title game on a Bob Palacio penalty kick that gives the Crusaders a 3-2 victory. Eleven wins is a new record as is the teams 50 goals, including four by freshman Paul Avila in a game against DePauw. 

1967 

The Crusaders become the first team to successfully defend a NCAA Regional Championship as they blast past Kenyon 5-0 on East McCully Field. A 9-3-1 record puts Wheaton third in the MIISC. Coach Baptista leaves with an overall record of 104-52-22 over 16 seasons. 

1968 

Russ Enlow takes over as a head coach for the year, with the Crusaders tying for the MIISC title and winning a third straight NCAA Mid-East Regional with a sterling 10-1-2 record. Paul Avila returns from a serious knee injury to score 14 goals and the vertically striped socks make their debut. 

1969 

The Bean era begins with Wheaton winning a second straight MIISC crown and fourth straight NCCA Regional title. Paul Avila and BIII Piepgrass each score four goals in a single game (against Calvin and DePauw respectively) and Avila ties the single season scoring record with 15 goals. Wheaton racks up a 10-1-1 record and a 47-9 margin in goals and Paul Sherman is named to his fourth straight All-Conference team. 

1970 

A fifth straight NCAA Mid-East Regional caps off a 12-2-1 season which includes Wheaton's 200th soccer victory, 4-0 over Aurora. Jim Lane sets a new single season scoring record with 16 goals. 

1971 

Wheaton wins a sixth straight regional title in the last year of the old regional system giving the Crusaders seven out of ten championships. Wheaton also wins the lndiana-lllinois Soccer Conference (IISC) as Jim Lane scores three straight hat tricks against Earlham, Lake Forest, and Principia. The team makes an East Coast trip, playing Yale and King's, and Ed Palacio is drafted by St. Louis of the NASL in the fifth round. 

1972 

Jim Lane scores 11 goals to replace Paul Avila as Wheaton career scoring leader by a 46 to 43 margin. Lane also assists on four goals in his final game to set a single game record and a career mark of 21 as well, and is invited to the first annual Senior Bowl in Orlando. Florida. 

1973 

The Crusaders make their West Coast debut in the Far West Soccer Classic at Cal-Riverside and finish the season at the Liberal Arts College Invitational with a final record of 5-6-4. 

1974 

Wheaton wins its second IISC title in three years with an overall record of 8-6-1 but is eliminated in the first round of the NCAA Division III national tournament. Don Lemon and Pete Friberg score for the Crusaders in their conference clinching victory over Wabash. 

1975 

A second straight NCAA bid caps off a 11-6-0 season by a very young squad. Wheaton ties for second in the IISC but loses in the first round of the NCAA tournament again. 

1976 

A pair of one-goal overtime losses to MacMurray puts Wheaton second in the IISC and second in the NCAA Regional during a 10-7-1 season. Phil Baur's overtime goal against Ohio Wesleyan puts Wheaton into the Regional championship game for the first time under the new playoff system, and the Wheaton Invitational makes its debut with the NCAA Division I runner-up Indiana defeating the Crusaders 2-1 for the championship. Wheaton's 3-0 victory over Washington University is the 250th in Crusader soccer history. 

1977 

Steve Long demolishes the single season scoring record with 25 goals including four against Ball State as Wheaton once again makes the NCAA playoffs with a record of 13-8-0. The Crusaders beat MacMurray 3-1 in the playoffs on a goal by Bob Vennerstrom and a pair scores by Steve Long, but Wooster eliminates the Crusaders 4-1 in the Regional final. Long is named honorable mention All-America, the first for Wheaton since 1965. 

1978 

Wheaton cruises to the IISC championship with a 7-0 league record behind Steve Long's 22 goals and the play of midfielder Bret Hall, but is eliminated in the playoffs in the first round by Ohio Wesleyan. Steve Long is named to the second team All-America and is invited to the Senior Bowl to cap off a career that includes a school record 59 goals. Steve McDonald also sets a school record with his 23rd career shutout. Steve Long and Bret Hall are both drafted by the NASL (Long in the 4th round by Chicago, Hall in the 2nd by Portland) and end up teammates with the Sting. The Crusaders also make a second West Coast trip to the Far West Classic in Seattle, Washington. 

1979 

Wheaton drops out of the IISC to play an independent schedule, posting a 9-8-3 mark. Mark Pruitt is taken in the 4th round of the MISL draft by Philadelphia. Joe Bean becomes Wheaton's winningest soccer coach with his 105th victory, 3-0 over Spring Arbor. 

1980 

The Crusaders post an 11-4-1 record but are left out of the playoffs for the second year in a row. The 500th game in Wheaton history is a 5-0 victory over Trinity and is one of goalie Doug Dry's record 8 shutouts of the season. 

1981 

Wheaton breaks into the new Midwest Metropolitan Soccer Conference (MMSC) by winning the title with a 4-0 record. Doug Dry picks up his 9th shutout of the season against Colorado College in the first round of the playoffs and then stops Washington University in a penalty shootout after four overtimes to earn Wheaton's first Midwest-Far West Regional title in Division III. Scranton ends the Crusaders' season 1-0 in the national quarter-finals. Doug Dry is signed by Oklahoma City of the ASL after the season. 

1982 

A 15 game winning streak brings a second straight MMSC title to Wheaton before a NCAA quarter-final loss to Bethany ends the streak and the season. Records are set by Gordon Hull (single-season assists-13; career assists-23), and freshman Dan Matthews (10 shutouts, 0.62 goals against average) as the team sets new standards for victories with 18 and goals with 80. 

1983 

All-Americas Tim Daniels, Dave Kouwe and Andrew Taylor lead the team to a third straight MMSC title and 13-3-4 record. Taylor sets a new career assist record at 26 with one season to play, and the team is ranked third in Division III during the season, the highest yet for Wheaton. Colorado College ends Wheaton's Regional title hopes with a 2-1 victory in the first round of the playoffs. 

1984 

Wheaton finishes the season with a 21-1-2 record and finished second to Northern Illinois in the MMSC. But with an NCAA playoff birth, the Crusaders Rockford, Washington University, and Kean to advance to the NCAA final against Brandies. In the third overtime of a 1-1 game, All-American Andrew Taylor was fouled in the penalty box, and fellow All-American Dave Kouwe scored on the ensuing kick to give Wheaton a sudden death victory and their first NCAA Division I National Championship. Andrew Taylor leaves Wheaton with a school record 35 career assists, and goalkeeper Chris Hagemann registered a school single-season record 13 shutouts. Coach Bean was awarded his first National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) Division III Coach of the Year for putting together the most memorable season in Wheaton history. 

1985 

Wheaton fails to repeat as NCAA champions when they are bounced from the NCAA tournament in the second round by Washington University 2-1. First team All-America Chris Hagemann finishes his career with 25 shutouts in only two seasons at Wheaton. Senior Dave Wolf also earns first team All-America honors as the Crusaders finish first in the MMSC with an overall record of 18-2-2. Wolf graduates and then starts a professional playing career with the Chicago Sting. 

1986 

The Crusaders play their home games at Lawson Field for the first time since 1964 and finish first in the MMSC. Wheaton loses only three games all season, two against Division II teams Pacific Lutheran and Seattle Pacific and one in the second round of the NCAA Division III playoffs. Freshman Joel Kapitaniuk begins a sterling career at Wheaton as he scores 16 goals and is named first team All-America. Junior Tim McClements sets a new single season assist record with 14, including a single game record 5 assists against Aurora. 

1987 

In the last year of MMSC play, the Crusaders struggled all season long as top scorers Joel Kapitaniuk and George Rhodes miss the entire season due to injury. Wheaton finishes with a losing record for only the second time in Coach Bean's tenure with a 9-10-1 record. 

1988 

The soccer program aligns with the rest of Wheaton athletics in joining the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW). In their first year in the CCIW. Wheaton goes undefeated in conference play and return to the NCAA playoffs and win the Great Lakes Regional Championship with a penalty kick shootout 4-3 victory over Rockford and a 1-0 shutout over Kalamazoo. George Rhodes leads the team with 17 goals and is named honorable mention All-America. 

1989 

Joel Kapitaniuk scores 23 goals, George Rhodes scores 21, and Phil Wolf adds 16 goals as the Crusaders set a single season record with 87 goals. Kapitaniuk, Rhodes, and Wolf are all named to the All-American team giving Wheaton three All-Americans in one season for the first time since 1957. Kapitaniuk also breaks the record for single season assists with 15. In post-season action, Wheaton upset top-seeded Wooster in the first round, only to lose to Ohio Wesleyan in the second round. 

1990 

Wheaton makes their most successful championship run since the '84 championship, with an NCAA Final Four birth after winning a regional match against MacMurray and upsetting favored UCSD in San Diego. Phil Wolf and Joel Kapitaniuk are both named All-America, and Kapitaniuk sets Wheaton's career scoring mark with 67 goals in four years of play. Wolf sets the new standard for assists in a season with 18. Wheaton ends their season 20-3-0 after losing to Ohio Wesleyan 1-0 in the national semifinal. 

1991 

After 26 straight wins, Wheaton suffers their first blemish in a conference game since CCIW play began with penalty kick shootout loss to North Central in the CCIW playoffs. Goalkeeper Doug Allen helps set a new record of 16 shutouts on the season, and registers a record 0.41 season goals against average. Phil Wolf has his third All-American season and sets a new career assist mark with 37, then continues his playing career with the Dayton Dynamo of the NPSL. 

1992 

Wheaton wins the 500th game in program history with a thrilling 2-1 win over Wooster. They also regain the CCIW title with a 6-0 conference record, outscoring their opponents 32-2 in those games. Graham Roxburgh is the fourth straight Wheaton player named CCIW Most Outstanding Player, as Wheaton misses out on the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1987. 

1993 

With a tough West Coast trip to start the season, Wheaton crawls to a 1-3 start. But the Crusaders regain their form by losing only one more regular season game, and get back into the NCAA playoffs, losing to Wisconsin in the regional final. Midfielder Troy Edwards sets a new season assist record with 23, including 4 in a first round NCAA win over Illinois Benedictine, and a establishes a new career mark with 44. 

1994 

Wheaton sets a new mark with 6 overtime games played in one season, going 4-1-1 in those games. The Crusaders set a new team mark with 13 goals in a game against Millikin. Wheaton loses their first CCIW game in seven years 1-0 on an own-goal against North Central. Wheaton makes their 17th appearance in the NCAA playoffs and loses to Washington University in the first round. 

1995 

The first ever night game is played under four new light standards installed at East McCully Field. The first game under the lights is played against Wheaton grad and former Wheaton head coach Cliff McCrath and Seattle Pacific University. The game goes into overtime with the Crusaders eventually losing 3-1. Wheaton rebounds in CCIW play by winning the conference title and humiliating Millikin once again with a record setting 17-0 victory. Washington University ends the Crusaders' season for the second year in a row in a 2-1 regional final setback. David Blomquist is named third team All-America, the first such honor for a Wheaton player in 4 years 

1996 

Wheaton begins a record setting unbeaten streak as they go 17-0-3, with one of those ties ending in penalty kicks and University of Chicago advancing in the NCAA tournament. Eric Brown sets a freshman record with 18 goals and Chris Bates is named second team All-America. 

1997 

With 24 wins, Wheaton sets the record for most victories in a season and sets another record for goals in a season with 109. More records were set as Pat Munson scored 5 goals against Millikin, and Nate Bowman scored the fastest goal ever, just 13 seconds into the Wisconsin-Oshkosh match. In the NCAA tournament, Wheaton rolled to the finals with a 5-0 victory over Rhodes, a 4-0 victory over Washington University and a 2-1 over time win over Ohio Wesleyan and a 2-1 win over Mary Washington. In the NCAA Division III final, Wheaton cruised past defending champ College of New Jersey with Eric Brown scoring all three goals in a 3-0 shutout, and Wheaton won the National Championship for the second time in history. Wheaton finished their second straight undefeated season, as Eric Brown and Rob Mouw were named first team All-America. Joe Bean was also named NSCAA Division III Coach of the Year for the second time. 

1998 

Wheaton continued a winning streak of a school record 39 games, and surpassed Penn State's national record of 65 straight unbeaten games with 3-0 victory over Centre. The streak lasted just one more day as Wheaton lost in the fourth overtime against Trinity, to set the new national record for the longest unbeaten streak at 66 games. Rob Mouw becomes the first Wheaton player ever named NCAA Division III Player of the Year after recording 21 goals and 11 assists, and goalkeeper Steve Morad sets a new career record for shutouts with 27. Mouw and Eric Brown are both named first team All-America for the second year in a row, as Wheaton ends a three year stretch where they were ranked #1 in the national rankings 22 out of 25 weeks. 

1999 

Wheaton advances to the NCAA tournament after winning their 10th CCIW championship. Tournament wins over St. Olaf and Wisconsin-Oshkosh, get the Crusaders to the quarter-finals where Joe Bean records his 500th career victory in a win over Salsbury State. Coach Bean becomes one of only three coaches who have ever reached the 500 win plateau. Wheaton hosts the NCAA Division III Final Four and advanced to the final match with a 4-0 win over Richard Stockton, but loses in the final 2-0 to St. Lawrence. Eric Brown becomes Wheaton's new career scoring leader with 86 goals, and Rob Mouw scores 24 with 12 assists as they earn All-America honors for the third straight season.