Thanks to Dr. Jeff Nelson for the pictures
CHICAGO, Ill. – The North Park men's soccer team is moving on to the Sectional Finals after an 85th minute goal from Peder Olsen was the difference in a 1-0 victory over St. Olaf College on Friday.
Neither side got off to the best of starts as the defenses established themselves early and allowed no easy shots. North Park goalie Alfred Sward saved two simple shots in the first half that he wasn't much too troubled by, while Jesse Anamoo probably had the best chance of the frame, turned away on a good save from St. Olaf's keeper Austin Williams. Minutes later Tobias Lunde fired a shot just over the crossbar after having a good look at goal. Another ball that would have had Anamoo shooting point-blank on the Oles net just squeaked by the foot of Anamoo to keep the score at zeroes.
Probably the best chance of the game for St. Olaf was in the dying seconds of the first half when St. Olaf's Ian Elliot fired in a long-range missile that looked to have been touched by Sward into the crossbar and over the end line before the ref signaled a goal kick, inferring he did not see a touch from the NPU keeper, and it would go down officially as a shot off the crossbar.
Halftime: North Park 0, St. Olaf 0
The two squads continued their defensive chess match into the second half as either side managed only one shot-on-goal in the entire half. The Oles SOG came in the 56th minute when St. Olaf's Hakeem Morgan hammered a routine header right into the chest of Sward. From the 58th to the 84th minute, there were only three shots from both teams combined; a header high from Anamoo, a Kristoffer Risnes shot that was blocked, and St. Olaf shot that was blocked.
The breakthrough goal for the Vikings came with less than six minutes to go. NPU won back possession in the midfield and the ball fell to the feet of freshman Isak Flo. Flo spotted North Park's all-time leading goal scorer Peder Olsen knifing through the heart of the Oles defense. A perfectly weighted through ball from the England native caught the Swede Olsen in stride and the NPU legend split the ball through legs of Williams to vault the Vikings to the Elite Eight.
Not only was the goal crucially important in the game, but that goal also gave Olsen a tie for basically the only offensive record that he didn't hold at North Park: goals in a single season. With his 20th goal on the season, Olsen tied a mark set by Pedram Tahmi-Masoleh set in 2015.
The Vikings withstood a flurry of balls into the attacking third in the final five minutes, but none could find the back of Sward's net. The contingent of NPU supported erupted with approval as North Park had officially clinched its second ever trip to the final eight in program history.
Final: North Park 1, St. Olaf 0
What's Next?
The Vikings will take on the hosts of the sectional tomorrow (November 20) in a grudge match with the University of Chicago. North Park fell to the Maroons by a score of 1-0 earlier this season on October 23 at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. Kickoff is set for 3 PM at Stagg Field.
