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North Central ready for second-round hurdle

Every team hopes to play its best at the end of the year in the most important games, and despite going undefeated throughout the regular season the North Central football team may be playing at its peak.

The Cardinals hosted first-round NCAA Tournament opponent Albion (Mich.) on Saturday, and the win was never in doubt.

North Central jumped out to an early lead and led 42-0 by half, winning in dominating fashion 63-7. Albion didn’t score their only touchdown of the game until there were just more than two minutes left in the game. However, the first-round win means little to this North Central team, which has lofty goals ahead of it. Most importantly, clearing the second-round hurdle that has of late become such a difficulty.

The football program has reached the playoffs each of the last seven years, but only once have the Cardinals advanced to the third round. Each of the last two years ended with second-round losses, last year to Linfield 30-14.

“So far we have always had a really rough time in Round 2,” coach John Thorne said. “It’s finals week on Monday Tuesday and Wednesday and then Thursday is Thanksgiving and most of those years we have had to travel.”

Fortunately for his team, this year the Cardinals will get to stay home and will host their second-round game Saturday. The competition level will take a big step up, however, as the fourth-ranked Cardinals will host 10-1 and seventh-ranked Wisconsin-Platteville. The game kicks off at noon in Naperville.

Benedictine: The Benedictine men#146;s basketball team reached a program milestone on Saturday when the team won its 1,000 game. The win came in the form of a 91-70 victory over Alma in the consolation game of the Carthage College Men#146;s Basketball Classic. The Eagles were stuck on 999 wins for quite some time, falling just one game short when last season ended. This was the first victory of the season for Benedictine in its third game. The men#146;s team has played 91 seasons, averaging just more than 10 wins a year. That pace has picked up of late under coach Keith Bunkenburg, who has now been the coach for the 800th, 900th and 1,000th wins. He was also an assistant when Benedictine won its 700th game. Wheaton College: Despite finally overcoming a team that has held it back two of the last three years, the Wheaton women#146;s soccer team was knocked out of the playoffs over the weekend. The Thunder beat Emory College, which had ended its seasons in both 2010 and 2012, 1-0 in overtime on Friday. But the Thunder lost the following day to Trinity University.The loss marks the end of the collegiate career for CCIW player of the year Leah DeMoss who spent two of her four years with the Thunder. DeMoss is tied for 11th in goals in school history and 12th in all-time points.Wheaton started the game with the lead but went to halftime tied. The game remained that way until the 72nd minute when the deciding goal hit the back of the net. The Thunder finished its 2013 campaign with a 20-2-2 record and the fifth-best winning percentage in program history.

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