Chicago, Il., -- After an exciting and historic second round win over Elmhurst on Wednesday, the North Park Women's Soccer Team is on their way to the program's first College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin Championship, facing the #1 seed North Central College Cardinals.
North Central took down Wheaton College on Wednesday 4-0 to advance to the championship game, extending their current win streak to ten games. The Vikings and the Cardinals last met two weeks ago, where North Central put a stop to North Park's then six-game win streak behind CCIW Offensive Student-Athlete of the Year Jordan Lange's two goals. The Cardinals also have the Defensive Student-Athlete of the Year and Goalkeeper of the Year in Kassandra Salviola and Lily Mattison, respectively; as well as four additional players notching All-CCIW 1st and 2nd Team honors. In their second-round win over Wheaton, the Cardinals logged five assists on four goals with five different players accounting for an assist. CCIW 2nd Team member Gabriella Mattio put two goals through the back of the net, while forward Brooke Nelson and CCIW 1st Team member Madison DeVriendt knocked in the other two goals. Defensively, North Central only allowed six total shots and one shot on goal, showcasing their dominance on both sides of the pitch.
However, North Park remains confident and will look to bottle up their excitement and put it all out on the field Saturday in Naperville. With just as much firepower as the Cardinals when it comes to personnel, the Vikings are where they are for a reason. With good coaching in Emma Woodley and company, a strong back line held down by keeper Paige MacRitchie, All-CCIW midfielders in Maja Applequist and Hannah Björkegren manning the middle, and two electric forwards constantly applying pressure with 1st Team member Caroline Sjøstedt and CCIW First-Year Student-Athlete of the Year Sofia Svensson, there is no reason to not think they can't come out with a win Saturday. In their win over Elmhurst, Emilie Østlygen sent in the first goal of the game within the first ten minutes of play, her first goal of the season, MacRitchie had four really big saves, and Sjøstedt capped it off with the game winning goal in the 65th minute to seal their ticket to the championship game.
The CCIW Women's Soccer Championship will start at 2pm on Saturday, November 8th in Naperville, Illinois at the Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
