CHICAGO, Ill. – The North Park men's soccer team went into the halftime break with a 1-0 lead but couldn't hold off the Flying Dutchmen of Hope College in the second half as the utilized two goals in eight minutes to pull ahead and get the 2-1 win.
On a windy night at the Holmgren Athletic Complex, the team with the wind at their back was the only team able to find the back of the net all night. That was North Park in half number one as they knocked on the door for 40+ minutes, before finally busting it down in the 42nd. Jesse Anamoo received the ball on a breakaway and got just enough of a poke on it to ricochet it off the body of Hope goalie Daniel Hesselbein, where William De Carro was flying forward to follow up the offensive surge. De Carro successfully powered the ball into the back of the net to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead into the midgame break.
It wasn't long into the second half when a defensive miscue by North Park led to a wide-open net put away by the visitors. Just eight minutes later, it was a picture-perfect cross by Hope's Brett Dyer that was one touch finished Griffin Bruso to give the Dutchmen the lead. The pressure was heavily applied by the Vikings throughout the remainder of the game, but the Vikings couldn't cash in on the opportunities allowed by a stout Hope defense. The two sides finished dead even on shots (14), shots on goal (6), and corners (2).
What's Next?
The Vikings (5-3) start conference play on Saturday, September 25th when they take on Illinois Wesleyan (0-4) at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. Kickoff for that game is 7:30 PM.
