On Thursday afternoon, the Dominican University Stars play host to perennial powerhouse Wheaton College. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:00 p.m. on Dominican’s West Campus Field.
The Stars, 6-0-0 on the season, are 3-2-0 all-time against the Thunder. However, Wheaton holds a two-game winning streak over Dominican, including back-to-back 1-0 wins over the Stars in 2008 and 2009. In 2003, the Stars upended the Thunder, then under legendary head coach Joe Bean, 2-1 at Wheaton to open the all-time series. The Stars then claimed a 1-0 shutout win over Wheaton in River Forest in 2004. After a two-year hiatus from the Central Region rivalry, the Stars again edged the Thunder 2-1 in Wheaton in 2007.
Dominican opened the year ranked fourth in the NSCAA Division III preseason poll and is currently ranked second in the Central Region, behind the Calvin College Knights who ousted the Stars from the NCAA DIII national tournament last season in the semifinals. The Stars have posted victories over North Park, Chicago and Elmhurst, all ranked in the top ten in the region, already this season, and will look to improve to remain undefeated against ranked Central Region opponents with the Thunder ranked sixth in the region.
Wheaton is 2-2-2 overall and 0-1-2 against Central Region top ten teams. The Thunder will look to improve that mark with meetings with Dominican and Washington University (Mo.) on the horizon, followed by back-to-back contests with Elmhurst and North Park.
Admission to all Dominican University home athletic contests is free, with the exception of NCAA Division III post-season play. If you cannot make it to the match, visit the Stars on the web at www.dustars.com to follow live statistics from Thursday’s or any of Dominican’s home contests.
