The Chicago Union is a professional ultimate team that competes in the Central Division of the Ultimate Frisbee Association . The team was originally branded as the Windy City Wildfire. In their first year, the Wildfire had the best record in the then-Midwest Division and qualified for the playoffs in its first three seasons. They play home games at Martin Stadium on the campus of Northwestern University .
19-571: In March 2012, Steve Gordon purchased the territory rights based in Chicago as part of the first wave of expansion to begin play in the 2013 season. The Windy City Wildfire found a home field at Lane Tech College Prep. The inaugural season began in April 2013, and culminated with a 14–2 regular season record. The season ended with a first round playoff loss to the Madison Radicals. Going into
38-531: A stub . You can help Misplaced Pages by expanding it . NCAA Division III men%27s outdoor track and field championships The NCAA Division III Men's Outdoor Track and Field Championship are the annual collegiate outdoor track and field competitions for men organised by the National Collegiate Athletic Association . Athletes' individual performances earn points for their institution and individual national titles while
57-586: A competitive drum corps show hosted by The Cavaliers Drum and Bugle Corps of Rosemont, Ill., each summer. In 2018, the stadium became the home field for the Chicago Wildfire of the American Ultimate Disc League . The Chicago Fire , a Major League Soccer team, played their home matches at Cardinal Stadium in 2002 and 2003 while Soldier Field underwent extensive renovations. The team had inquired with several venues in
76-569: A record of 4–10 which tied them for 5th in the division with the Detroit Mechanix, and did not make the playoffs. On January 1, 2017, Steve Gordon signed on Trent Kuhl as General Manager of the Chicago Wildfire. Former player and Assistant Coach Adrian King was named Head Coach, while Andrew "AJ" Nelson joined the coaching ranks as Assistant Coach. Returner Jack Shey and first time player Pawel Janas were elected as captains for
95-644: A seating capacity of 5,500. It was home to the Chicago Fire of Major League Soccer from 2002 to 2003. The athletic fields for North Central College , home to several NCAA Division III programs, were destroyed by a flood in July 1996 and were quickly repaired to allow the school's football team to play on a temporary field. Plans for a larger renovation of the football stadium and adjacent athletics facility were announced in January 1997, but later replaced with
114-609: Is located in Lisle, Illinois. The season yielded an 8–5–1 record, allowing for a third-place finish in the division, and a postseason appearance against the Pittsburgh Thunderbirds. The post season was short lived, as the Chicago Wildfire fell to the Thunderbirds, ending their 2015 season. For the 2016 season, all home games were moved back to the original home field of Lane Tech College Prep. The Wildfire fell to
133-471: The 2014 season, team ownership made the decision to legally change the name of the franchise to the Chicago Wildfire. The second season provided a strong 9–5 record and gave the team a second-place finish in the division. The team ended the season with a first round playoff loss to the New York Empire. In 2015, the organization decided to shift 5 of their 7 home games to Benedictine University, which
152-473: The 2017 season. The Wildfire finished 3–11, but the future looked bright for the young core of talent on the team. For the 2018 season, Adrian King returned as head coach. The team improved with a 5–9 record for the season. The team moved to Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium in Naperville, Illinois , for the season. In 2019, former player, Dave Woods, took the reins from Adrian King and became the head coach of
171-627: The AUDL game as the Wildfire defeated the Alley Cats in the exhibition. Weeks before the season was set to start, the league canceled the season due to the COVID-19 pandemic affecting the world. The Chicago Wildfire decided to retire the name and create an opportunity for a rebranding moment. After receiving many options from fans, the new era for Chicago professional ultimate will be represented by
190-669: The Chicago Union. In 2021, the Chicago Union finished first in the Central Division with a 10–2 record. In the first round of the playoffs the Union won their first playoff game, defeating Minnesota 22–18. They lost to New York in the semifinals 22–18. In 2022, The Union finished first in the central division with a 10–2 record. They made it to the Championship but ultimately lost to the New York Empire. Kyle Rutledge
209-562: The Chicago Wildfire. Pawel Janas had a record breaking season for assists. The Wildfire finished at 7–5 and earned their first playoff bid since 2015. The team fell to Pittsburgh losing 21–20, ending their season. The offseason allowed the Chicago Wildfire to take the big stage against the Indianapolis Alley Cats. The two teams battled at Soldier Field during the Chicago Bears halftime show. Over 60,000 fans attended
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#1732787406841228-538: The Chicago area, including Comiskey Park and the Arlington Park racecourse, and agreed to play at Cardinal Stadium in January 2002. They had previously used the stadium for the quarterfinals of the 2000 U.S. Open Cup , which drew 7,096 spectators. To accommodate the team's larger crowds, temporary seating was installed in phases, beginning with bleachers behind the goals in time for the regular season opener. The first match, played without these bleachers,
247-451: The development of a new complex anchored by a 5,000-seat football and soccer stadium. The $ 6.5 million complex included the new football stadium, indoor training facilities, a 750-seat baseball stadium, and a track-and-field stadium. The new stadium opened for a Cardinals football game on September 11, 1999, and initially retained its former name of Kroehler Field before being renamed Cardinal Stadium. The track-and-field area opened
266-557: The following months to bring the stadium's temporary capacity up to 15,000, close to the Fire's average attendance of 16,325 at Soldier Field the previous year. The Fire finished the 2002 regular season with an average of 12,922 spectators at Cardinal Stadium, including four consecutive sellouts in September. The stadium's small footprint allowed fans to be closer to the field and created an "intimate" atmosphere compared to Soldier Field;
285-767: The following year and hosted the NCAA Division III men's outdoor track and field championships in May 2000. The natural grass playing surface was replaced with artificial turf in September 2001 due to the stadium's frequent events. Cardinal Stadium was renamed Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium in 2003 for two North Central College alumni and board members, Albert Benedetti and Richard Wehrli. Benedetti–Wehrli hosts two highly hyped high school football games featuring Naperville Central High School versus Naperville North High School and Waubonsie Valley High School versus Neuqua Valley High School . The stadium also serves as host to
304-519: The team's lease was renewed in September 2002 by the Naperville City Council . Cardinal Stadium's artificial turf surface, as well as its narrow dimensions, was subject to criticism by players and coaches. The temporary seating was removed during the offseason and gradually re-added at the start of the 2003 season, which began with a standing room only crowd of 7,143 at the opener on April 13. The Fire's final match at Cardinal Stadium
323-618: Was AUDL First Team All-Rookie. Pawel Janas was selected to the First Team All-AUDL. In 2023, The Union finished third in the central division with a 6–6 record. They lost in the first round of the playoffs to the Indianapolis Alleycats 23–15. Benedetti%E2%80%93Wehrli Stadium Benedetti–Wehrli Stadium , formerly Cardinal Stadium , is a stadium in Naperville, Illinois . It is primarily used for American football , soccer and track and field and has
342-533: Was a CONCACAF Champions' Cup match on March 20 against C.S.D. Municipal of Guatemala that had 4,844 spectators. The regular season opener on April 27 had over 10,000 in attendance; the Fire also ran shuttle buses from remote parking areas. An additional stand on the west side of the stadium opened on May 26 against the San Jose Earthquakes and drew 13,521 spectators—the team's first full sellout at Cardinal Stadium. Additional seats opened up in
361-590: Was played on October 4 against the Los Angeles Galaxy with 11,874 in attendance; they averaged 11,601 in the 14 matches played at the stadium during the 2003 regular season and drew 331,989 total fans over 20 months. The team returned to the reopened Soldier Field for the final two matches of the regular season and the MLS Cup Playoffs . This article about a sports venue in Illinois is
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