The top-ranked Calvin men's soccer team survived a wild shootout at rival Wheaton in front of a standing room only crowd, topping the host Thunder by a 3-2 score. Calvin used first half goals from senior Kurt Van Sickel and freshman Zach Willis to build a 2-0 halftime lead but 18th-ranked Wheaton came roaring back with a pair of second half goals. A score by Calvin senior Kyle Billin proved to the difference however as the Knights picked up their third straight win over Wheaton including their second-ever win at Wheaton's Joe Bean Stadium. 
  
"Anytime you can pick up a win at Wheaton, it's huge," said Calvin men's soccer coach Chris Hughes after the game. "This is one of the most difficult venues to play at in all of collegiate soccer but our boys were up to the challenge and I give them a lot of credit. I also thought Wheaton played very well. They pushed us to the limit." 
  
Fueled by the energy of its huge home crowd, Wheaton surged early on, pressuring the Calvin net and skimming one shot off the crossbar. The Knights kept their poise however and struck first on a goal by Van Sickel who redirected a shot into the net off a long throw-in by junior Justin Ahearne (Hudsonville/Hudsonville HS). The goal by Van Sickel came in the 31st minute of play. Calvin (3-0-0) continued to possess the ball throughout the latter stages of the second half and broke through for another goal with just a minute-and-a-half left on the clock when Willis (Wyoming/Unity Christian HS) intercepted a loose ball in the Wheaton box and deposited a low hard shot into the right hand corner for his second goal of the young season. 
  
Wheaton (2-1-0) got right back in the game less than five minutes into the second half when Kolt Martin ripped in a shot off a corner kick taken by teammate Stephen Mesko to make the score 2-1. In the 62nd minute of play however, Calvin came up with a critical play as Billin (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) snuck into the box on a long throw-in by junior Tyler Vegter (Hudsonville/Unity Christian HS) and ripped in a header to give the Knights a 3-1 lead. 
  
Six minutes later, Wheaton would tally again as Drew Golz was able to move underneath a crossing pass from Cory Weaver and slip a shot just inside the far post to bring the Thunder to within a goal. 
  
Calvin held off Wheaton down the stretch however, holding the Thunder without a shot over the final 15 minutes of play to seal the win. 
  
Calvin held a 13-10 shots at goal advantage. Senior goalkeeper Ryan Bratt (Silver Spring, MD/Washington Christian Academy) was credited with the victory for the Knights in nets. 
  
The Knights will now prepare to travel to nearby Naperville, Illinois, for a Saturday night match at North Central which tied Hope 1-1 Friday night. Saturday's match between Calvin and North Central is scheduled to begin at 8 p.m. (EST).