A late Elmhurst goal in waning minutes of the second overtime ruined an otherwise sensational defensive effort for the Vikings Saturday night as they closed out the regular season with a 1-0 loss to the Bluejays at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.

Despite the loss, North Park finished second in the final CCIW standings (6-2) and will host rival Wheaton College Wednesday night in the first round of the conference postseason tournament at 7 p.m.

North Park had a flurry of chances in the opening minutes of the second overtime as Gianfranco DeCarne, Matias Warp, Miguel Valle and Kebba Sanyang all fired shots in a matter of five seconds.

Both teams stayed strong on the defensive end throughout as neither team was able to gain much of an advantage in total shots. The Vikes did own a 16-15 edge, including an 8-7 edge in shots on goal, but both keepers continued to make exceptional saves, combining for 14 total, to keep the match alive.

Josh Ardvison decided the match for Elmhurst in the 118th minute when he skipped a shot past two NP defenders and bounced it in the bottom left corner of the net.

Warp led the Vikings with five shots, three on goal, while both DeCarne and Sanyang had three each. Ardvison totaled four to lead the Bluejays.

North Park finishes the regular season with a 10-6-1 overall record. If the Vikings win Wednesday against the Thunder, they would face the winner of Carthage/Illinois Wesleyan for the CCIW tournament championship and an automatic bid to the NCAA Division III National Tournament.