CHICAGO, Ill. -- The Elmhurst Bluejays (9-2-2, 1-1-1) made the short trip to the Holmgren Athletic Complex to take on red-hot North Park (5-6, 2-0) on a chilly October evening. The Vikings claimed their second shutout win of the season with a 2-0 home defending win, remaining atop the CCIW standings.

North Park, looking to extend their win streak to three came out aggressive to start the match, shooting 14 total shots in the first half compared to just one for Elmhurst.  After a scoreless first half, freshman midfielder Sofia Svensson broke through in the 58th minute, netting her sixth goal of the season off a crisp assist from junior forward Emilie Østlyngen.

The Vikings kept their momentum rolling when junior midfielder Hannah Björkegren added an insurance goal in the 77th minute, her second of the year, giving North Park the 2-0 lead.  

Offensively, the Vikings dominated with 25 total shots, including seven on goal, led by Björkegren's seven attempts and Svensson's five. Senior forward Caroline Sjøstedt and sophomore midfielder Julia Önnerheim also applied steady pressure, combining for nine shots between them. In goal, senior Paige MacRitchie was stellar once again, earning her second shutout of the season tallying three saves on five Elmhurst shots.

Elmhurst's best chance came in the 65th minute when Lauren Nevins lined up for a penalty kick that was punched up by MacRitchie to preserve the clean sheet. With the win, North Park improves to 6-6 overall and 3-0 in conference play.  This marks the first time since the 2013 season that North Park Women's Soccer has had three conference wins and marks the first time ever that they have had sole possession of first place through multiple conference games.

What's Next?

The Vikings will look to keep it rolling this weekend when they take on Illinois Wesleyan University at Neis Field on Saturday, October 11, at 1pm.