Photo credit: Dr. Jeff Nelson

CHICAGO, Ill. -- The 19th-ranked North Park University men's soccer team endured a chippy Elmhurst College team on Wednesday night, earning a 2-0 win in the College Conference of Illinois Wisconsin (CCIW) tournament semifinal match. The night saw 29 fouls and six cards distributed, four for Elmhurst, in a hyper-competitive match.

It didn't take long for the action to pick up in the first half, as both teams were at each other's throats early on.

In the 29th minute, North Park's offense navigated grabs and pushes from the Elmhurst defense by utilizing a barrage of quick passes. A backheel touch from junior midfielder Peder Olsen gave possession to junior midfielder Gianfranco DeCarne, who sent a one-touch pass towards the chest of junior forward Shatil Khoury. Khoury popped the ball just above head height, finishing the play with a curving roundhouse kick for a dramatic first goal of the match.

However, Elmhurst would catch a break minutes later. Junior Gustav Ericsson was sent off with a retaliatory red card in the 34th minute as Elmhurst's Matt Conti got off easy with a yellow card for a flagrant off-ball foul. 

Despite playing a man down for the ensuing 11 minutes, the Blue Jays were still helpless. The Vikings held the Jays to just a single shot through the first half, maintaining their 1-0 lead at halftime.

Halftime: North Park 1, Elmhurst 0

In the second half, the Vikings and Blue Jays continued to play a very physical match as 13 fouls were distributed among the two teams. Despite being a man down, the Vikings held constant possession of the ball as the Blue Jays struggled to even get a shot off.

In the 84th minute, North Park would put the match out of reach. Sophomore Angel Barriga chipped a lob pass to DeCarne who, despite being grabbed and pulled down by the Elmhurst defense, skipped his fifth goal of the season into the back of the net.

Final: North Park 2, Elmhurst 0

Quick Hits: 

• DeCarne had three points; a goal in the 84th minute and 29th minute assist
• DeCarne's 25 career assist ties head coach Kris Grahn and Isaac Lee (C '09) for the all-time lead
• Olsen has totaled 42 points this season, tying a single-season best by Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh during the 2015 season
• DeCarne, Barriga, and Olsen notched their eighth, seventh, and sixth assists, respectively 
• Goalkeeper Mathias Stulen moved up to third all-time in career shutouts with 19
• While a man down, the Vikings out-shot the Bluejays 14-6

What's Next?

North Park (14-4-1) will host the tournament's third-seeded Illinois Wesleyan University Titans (9-7-2) on Saturday, November 9, at 7 p.m. The Titans topped the tournament's second-seeded North Central College Cardinals in penalty kicks to advance to their first-ever CCIW Tournament final.