Photo credit: Dr. Jeff Nelson
CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park University men's soccer team concluded its 2019 season with a 1-0 double-overtime loss to Calvin University Knights in the Sectional round of the NCAA Tournament.
Both teams battled for possession to start the match, with the first shot being sent in off the foot of North Park junior midfielder Gianfranco DeCarne in the sixth minute.
Next, DeCarne and junior midfielder Gustav Ericsson fired a pair of shots in the 18th minute as North Park dominated the pace of play in the first half.
However, despite North Park totaling five shots, neither team was able to score in the first half of play.
Halftime: North Park and Calvin tied at zero
The Vikings kept the pressure on in the second half, outshooting the Knights 12-3, but the match remained scoreless.
Before the end of regulation, North Park nearly stole the win in a fast-developing series of passes. In the 82nd minute, sophomore midfielder Ulrik Lund sent a sharp pass to Ericsson, who momentarily settled the ball before finding junior midfielder Peder Olsen on a 20-yard burst. Noticing that the Calvin goalkeeper left his line, Olsen lobbed a shot that landed inside the box, bounced off the bottom of the crossbar, and nearly crossed the goal line before being corralled by the keeper.
Olsen drove a shot on goal in the 88th minute, but the match would remain a scoreless tie through regulation as the teams prepared for overtime.
In the first round of extra time, Olsen sent in a corner kick in the 96th minute and Calvin's Jacob Lyon fired a shot high in the 99th minute. Besides those two plays, both teams played conservatively before entering the second round of overtime.
Unfortunately, the Knights would end the match in the 109th minute. A give-and-go pass starting at midfield from Mason Smith and Hunter Olson moved to the possession of Jacob Lyon, who skipped a perfect shot to the lower right side of the net for the golden goal.
Final: Calvin 1, North Park 0 (2OT)
The Season, at a Glance
North Park ends the season with its second NCAA Tournament appearance in three years. The Vikings have won three-straight College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) titles and earned their fifth CCIW tournament championship in program history. In his first season as head coach, Kris Grahn led the Vikings to a 16-5-2 finish and earned a share of the CCIW Coach of the Year.
