ELMHURST, Ill. -- Late-game efforts helped North Park Men's Soccer avoid a draw at Langhorst Field on Wednesday night, securing a 2-1 win over the Elmhurst Bluejays.
The Vikings struck first in the 23rd minute when junior forward Kevin Perez netted his fourth goal of the season, finishing a well-placed assist from senior midfielder Vidar Rydell. Elmhurst responded early in the second half with a goal from Max Aquino, assisted by Klaus Gartner, leveling the score.
North Park's defense held firm and Elmhurst's hung in there, too. However, an Elmhurst foul just outside of the box with just seconds left on the clock allowed senior defender Christian Vaaland the chance to put the Vikings over the top. He did just that, sending his screaming free-kick strike past a wall of Bluejay defenders and into the right side of the goal for the game winner.
Despite the man disadvantage, North Park's back line, anchored by junior goalkeeper Ludvig Almborg, who tallied three second-half saves, stifled Elmhurst's late surge. The Vikings outshot the Bluejays 16-8 and earned four corners to Elmhurst's three, controlling possession and tempo for much of the match.
Top Performers
North Park Vikings
Elmhurst Bluejays
- Max Aquino: 1 goal, 1 shot on goal,Â
- Klaus Gartner: 1 assist, 2 shots, 90 minutes
- Dario Gutierrez: 4 shots, 2 on goal
What's Next?
North Park improves to 7-3-0 overall and 2-2-0 in conference play. The Vikings will travel to face Illinois Wesleyan (8-1-2, 2-0 CCIW) on Saturday, October 11. Kickoff at Neis Soccer Field is set for 3:30 PM CT.
