CHICAGO, Ill. -- On a brisk afternoon at the Holmgren Athletic Complex on Saturday afternoon, North Park men's soccer mounted a furious second-half rally but couldn't overcome a resilient North Central side, falling 2-1 in a late conference matchup.
The Vikings found themselves trailing early after Griffin French sent in a low, 30-yard rocket in the 19th minute, giving North Central a 1-0 lead. North Park struggled to find rhythm in the first half, managing just six shots and having three corner kicks knocked away.
But the second half told a different story.
From the 55th minute onward, North Park began to pile on the pressure. Junior midfielder Angel Arismendiz had a pair of chances wide left before finally breaking through in the 62nd minute, heading home a cross from junior midfielder Mathias Soerum to level the score at 1-1, marking his first goal of the season.
The equalizer ignited a relentless offensive push. Between the 61st and 85th minutes, the Vikings fired off 10 shots, including efforts from fifth-year defender Hugo Neborg, sophomore midfielder, Bastian Eikeland, and fifth-year defender Christian Vaaland. They earned five second-half corners and forced North Central keeper Daniel Szalai into three crucial saves.
However, a penalty kick awarded in the 71st minute proved decisive. Joris Rijnja calmly converted from the spot to restore North Central's lead, and despite North Park's late barrage - including a header from Vaaland in the final seconds - Szalai stood tall to preserve the win.
North Park outshot North Central 22-8 and held a 6-4 edge in corners, but the final whistle confirmed a frustrating defeat that dropped the Vikings to 8-6-1 (3-4-0 CCIW).
Top Players
North Park
North Central
- Griffin French – 1 goal (30-yard strike), 1 shot on goal
- Joris Rijnja – 1 goal (penalty), 2 shots, 1 shot on goal
- Daniel Szalai – 6 saves, including 3 in the second half
What's Next?
North Park has one match left in the regular season, hosting Carthage College next Wednesday, October 29, at 7:00 PM CT.
