For their second consecutive season, the Cyclones earned an Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference co-championship, finished with a solid record and earned individual honors.

With only six returning Cyclones, four of whom were starters, and the remaining roster loaded with newcomers, they had plenty of success. Finishing 16-5 overall and 6-1 in the Illinois Skyway Collegiate Conference earned them a second consecutive Skyway co-championship. They're in a competitive region, earning the No. 3 seed in the playoffs, making for a tough road to nationals. They ended their run in the semifinals against a talented Morton College squad.

"Things went really well, and we had a very successful season. It's a tough region, but I'm proud of our guys," said Assistant Coach Chris Koloffon.

This year's crew didn't have the powerhouse scorers as they have the past few years, but the defense was spot on. By season's end, goalkeeper Connor Baker (Sandburg) ranked No. 2 in NJCAA Division I for his save percentage (.911).

A few athletes earned awards with one coming from each line position on the field—mid, forward, defense. Sophomores Omar Barragan (Reavis), Fernando Alvarez (Reavis) and Vasili Vouris (Sandburg) each earned nods to the All-NJCAA Region IV team and All-Conference first team. For some time, Alvarez led the nation in goals. He finished the regular season leading the NJCAA Division I in assists with 24 and was No. 14 for points (44). Koloffon commends the three for their leadership and performance. Sophomore Shun Tanaka (Japan) rarely sat on the bench, stayed injury free and was named to the All-Conference second team. All-Conference honorable mentions went to freshmen Fernando Barragan (Reavis) and Jonathan Vasquez (Solorio Academy).

"I'm proud of the guys for what they worked through this season. Their commitment was solid," Koloffon said. "We didn't score as many goals like in the past, but we defended really well."

Since 2016, the Cyclones have boasted a 59-14-3 record, two conference co-championships, and ended the season one goal away from nationals under the leadership of Head Coach TJ Donahue. Three games before the end of the year, he stepped down for personal reasons. He helped build the program, which Koloffon intends to continue.

"TJ had a big part in our success. We're building our standards. Just look at our win total over the last four years. We've had great success. We want to continue bringing in more experienced players all around," Koloffon said.

Next year, the NJCAA is creating a Division II for men's and women's soccer. Currently, the Cyclones are in a very competitive Division I, and this change should help level the playing field, Koloffon said. In the meantime, he'll continue recruiting to continue the program's winning ways.