CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park used a brace of goals from sophomore forward Michal Dejworek (Crystal Lake, IL / Crystal Lake South) to give the Vikings all the cushion they needed as they opened the season with a 3-0 victory over Benedictine at Hedstrand Field at the Holmgren Athletic Complex on Friday evening.
The win marks the eleventh straight home opener won by the Vikings, and the twelfth year in a row that North Park has won its first game of the season.
The Vikings controlled the run of play throughout the contest, restricting Benedictine to only six shots on the night, only one of which was on frame. By contrast, NPU got off 16 shots, five on goal, and also picked up six corner kicks to only three for the Eagles.
Dejworek's first goal came at the 14:02 mark, when he and sophomore forward Tim Sjöström Hönö, Sweden / Aspero) used a two-man passing game to penetrate the left outer corner of the box. Dejworek took a three-yard pass from Sjöstrom in stride and rocketed a bender that hooked into the upper right of the net from fifteen yards for what would turn out to be the winning goal.
Dejworek repeated the feat early in the second half at 55:01 when a Christian Vaaland (Rennesøy, Norway / WANG Toppidrett Stavanger) volley from midfield bounced over a Benedictine defender's head and onto the foot of the oncoming Dejworek, who planted the ball in the left side of the net past BU keeper Sergio Valencia.
The Vikings completed the scoring courtesy of the Storødegård brothers. Hailing from Bærum, Norway via Division One school Siena College, they combined on a goal 75 minutes into the contest, as Frederic fed brother Thomas with a perfect cross that the latter poked home to complete the scoring.
North Park head coach Kris Grahn used 21 Vikings in the contest -- one of whom was sophomore goalkeeper Raul Jasso (Vernon Hills, IL / Vernon Hills), who earned a clean sheet in his first-ever varsity appearance.
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What's Next?
North Park (1-0) will next be back in action this coming Wednesday evening, September 6, as the Vikings play host to St. Norbert at 7:30 pm.
