CHICAGO, Ill. -- For the third time in their past three meetings, North Park women's soccer played Aurora to a draw. The Vikings were looking to bounce back from a 3-0 loss to the Illinois Institute of Technology on Saturday, but the Spartans had different plans in the 1-1 draw.

The match was off to an interesting start when Aurora keeper mishandled a backwards pass, resulting in an own goal in the third minute of the game. However, the Vikings' 1-0 lead wouldn't last long as Aurora's Madison Hougan scored Aurora's only goal soon after in the eleventh minute.   

Aurora kept the ball on North Park's side of the field for a majority of the first half, tallying six shots with five on goal to North Park's zero.  Junior goalkeeper Emily LaSalle (Olivet, Mich., Olivet) had three saves before injuring her hand three minutes before halftime, with backup Philemina Toca (Lynchburg, Ohio, Lynchburg-Clay) stepping in to close out the half and the rest of the game. Toca racked up one save.  

The Vikings did, however, pick up their tempo in the second half with some opportunities to score but were unable to capitalize. Freshman midfielder Ellen Carlsson (Uppsala, Sweden, Katedralskolan) had two shots on goal, while junior midfielder Abigail Balmaseda (Chicago, Ill., Von Steuben) and freshman forward Caroline Sjøstedt (Nesøya, Norway, Nesbru) both had one.  In total, Aurora beat North Park in shot attempts eleven to six en route to the 1-1 draw.  

What's Next?

The Vikings (1-1-1), look to find a rhythm these next upcoming games, traveling to Central College this Saturday, September 9, followed by back-to-back home games against Roosevelt University and Kalamazoo College. Kickoff in Pella, Iowa this Saturday is set for 2:00 PM CST.