CHICAGO, Ill. – The North Park University men's soccer team are regular season CCIW champions for the fourth straight season after the Vikings battled to a 2-0 win over Millikin University on Wednesday night at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. Despite outshooting the Big Blue 43-1, the hosts couldn't find pay dirt until the 66th minute when Jesse Anamoo scored what turned out to be the game-winner.
North Park controlled the run of play from the start but strong defensive positioning from the Big Blue defense kept NPU off the scoreboard despite 24 shots, including six on target. Millikin totaled their lone shot of the contest in the first half. The Vikings also couldn't cash in on the five corners that they shot off in half number one.
HALFTIME: North Park 0, Millikin 0
Another strong start from the Millikin defense continued to give the Vikings headaches as North Park kept racking up the shots but couldn't pulse the back of the net. That all changed when Angel Barriga took the ball down the left wing almost all the way to the end line before locating Jesse Anamoo on a ground cross that Anamoo swept into the back of the Big Blue net for a 1-0 NPU lead.
The icing on the cake happened only a minute and a half later when Barriga took possession of the ball and again took it down the left flank only to dispose of two Big Blue defenders, by forcing them to collide with each other, and promptly buried the ball in the back of the net for the 2-0 lead.
The back line held their shape for the remainder of the contest, as keeper Oskar Rydberg kept the first clean sheet of his collegiate career. Of NPU's 43 shots, 12 were on target for the Vikings. The home side also managed 12 corners to Millikin's one.
With this win the Vikings clinched CCIW regular season trophy for the fourth straight year, as well as the No. 1 seed in the CCIW conference tournament. Their opponent is TBD for the opening round game that will be on November 3rd at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
What's Next?
The No. 12 Vikings (12-3, 7-0 CCIW) will have their final regular season home game on Saturday, October 23rd when they host the No. 11 Maroons of the University of Chicago (9-4-1, 2-2 UAA). That game will start at 7 PM at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
