CHICAGO – The 12th-ranked North Park University men's soccer team notched its seventh shutout of the season, defeating the Elmhurst College Bluejays 4-0 at the Holmgren Athletic Complex on Wednesday night.
The match was scoreless the majority of the first half, but North Park struck twice in the late minutes of the first. In the 37th minute, sophomore forward Erik Lundeen scored his second goal of the season to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead. Just under 30 seconds later, sophomore midfielder Peder Olsen marked his sixth goal of the season, off an assist by Lundeen, growing the Vikings' lead to 2-0 after one half of play.
During the second half, the Vikings were still firing on all cylinders. In the 52nd minute, off a free kick assist by Olsen and another assist by sophomore Shatil Khoury, Lundeen scored his third goal of the season and second of the match, extending the Viking lead to 3-0. In the 58th minute, freshman forward Joachim Hoff connected on his fifth goal of the season, off an assist by Olsen.
The Elmhurst Bluejays were not able to muster a response and the Vikings marched their way to a 4-0 victory.
Player Highlights:
- Lundeen and Olsen contributed to three out of the four goals scored by the Vikings
- Olsen and Lundeen are also tied for the team lead in assists with three
- North Park outshot the Bluejays 23 to 4 (11 to 1 on goal) and 15 to 1 in the second half
- Hoff led the Vikings connecting on six shots while Lundeen and Olsen had three shots apiece
The Vikings picked up their third shutout in their last five matches while winning five of their lst six.
What's Next?
North Park (10-2, 4-1 CCIW) steps away from College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin play welcoming the Thomas More College Saints to the Holmgren Athletic Complex on Saturday, October 13 at 5:00 p.m.
–NPU–
