WAUKESHA, Wis. – The North Park men's soccer team won their final regular season contest on a rainy Wednesday night, blanking Carroll University 2-0.
The first half of the match started with Carroll marking the first shot in the 13th minute. The Vikings responded with seven unanswered shots.
North Park built its momentum on a strong first 45, not allowing Carroll to gain a corner or a shot on goal. Junior midfielder William de Carro rode this momentum in the 36th minute by driving a shot that would be saved before sophomore defender Hugo Neborg's turnaround shot glanced off the left post. However, Neborg and de Carro would help each other out in the 39th minute when Neborg's pass into the box from the left side connected with de Carro, who was sliding towards the goal. The slide would prove successful, as de Carro's right foot just beat the Carroll keeper for the first score of the night.
Just before halftime, a Pioneer freshman's on-field outburst resulted in a red card, allowing NPU to play a man up the rest of the match.
The second half of the match was full of action with nine total corner kicks (Vikings with five corners to the Pioneers; four). Three of the Vikings' corners happened within one minute. Carroll picked up its pace in the second half, managing a shot on goal. However, another late Viking goal would put the game out of reach.
In the 89th minute, a barrage of saved and deflected shots from junior defender Rocco Wallin, de Carro, and fifth-year Jostein Blindheim peppered the Carroll keeper. Eventually, Blindheim's shot was the one that found nylon as de Carro's previous shot was marked an assist.
This 2-0 score would hold, as the Vikings won their final game of the regular season. Junior goalkeeper Alfred Swärd saved the only shot he saw on goal en route to his seventh clean sheet of 2023.
What's Next?
North Park (10-5-2, 5-2-1 CCIW) concludes the regular season in third place of the CCIW standings and will host a tournament quarterfinals grudge match this coming Saturday, October 28, against sixth-seeded Illinois Wesleyan. Kickoff at Holmgren is set for 5:00 PM, following the home football game.
The winner of Saturday's quarterfinal will head back to Joe Bean Stadium to face second-seeded Wheaton next Wednesday, November 1, before the highest remaining seed would host the finals round on Saturday, November 4.
