NAPERVILLE, Ill. – The North Park men's soccer team had a total of six players crowned with All-Conference honors on Tuesday, including Peder Olsen and Gustav Ericsson winning Offensive and Defensive Player of the Year, respectively. Jesse Anamoo, Angel Barriga, Christian Vaaland, Olsen and Ericsson were all first team selections, while Kristoffer Risnes was named to the second team.
Olsen capped off one of the best careers in the North Park history with a season to remember. His 15 goals stood four clear of the next closest player in the conference, while his seven assists were good for third. Altogether, Olsen finished with 2.18 points per game, by far the best in the conference. He has now won three straight CCIW goals titles and CCIW points titles. Nobody in CCIW men's soccer history has ever won more than two titles in either category, let alone three in both of them. Olsen's 10 goals in CCIW play is the most since John Kightlinger of Wheaton scored 13 in 2001
Ericsson anchored what was the best defense in the conference, allowing only four goals against CCIW foes. Defense also turned to offense real quick when the ball was at the feet of Ericsson as the graduate student from Stockholm, Sweden had eight assists, good for best in the conference.
Anamoo and Barriga were also key factors in bolstering the Vikings offense as Anamoo was second in the conference with 11 goals and 1.53 points per game, while Barriga finished third in the conference with seven assists. Anamoo was credited with four game-winning goals, a mark that had him second in the conference, including the overtime game-winner against North Central that gave the Vikings sole possession of first place in the CCIW.
The four goals NPU allowed to CCIW opponents is the least since 2004, and Vaaland and Risnes were a big part of that. Vaaland appeared in all-but-one game for the Vikings this season totaling 1,322 minutes of play and scoring his lone goal of the season in the 8-0 trouncing over Elmhurst. Risnes appeared in every game for North Park playing 1,346 minutes and grabbing an assist in the 5-0 win over Greenville.
