WHITEWATER, Wis. -- In a thrilling road contest at Robert W. Fiskum Field, the No. 7-ranked North Park University men's soccer overcame a second-half deficit to secure a 2-1 victory over the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater on Thursday night. The Vikings scored a pair of goals in the final 15 minutes of the match to steal victory away from the Warhawks.
The match remained scoreless through the first half despite several chances from both sides. However, none of those chances would culminate in a shot on goal for either side. North Park outshot the Warhawks 4-3 in the opening 45 minutes and both teams had 4 corner kick opportunities.
The breakthrough came in the 72nd minute when UW-Whitewater's Cooper Re found the back of the net when a near-side throw-in by Adam Kaup passed a pair of Warhawks' heads before Re headed it inside the left post, giving the home side a 1-0 lead. But North Park responded with a highlight reel goal.
Just three minutes later, senior defender Hugo Neborg equalized for the Vikings in the 75th minute, finishing a well-orchestrated play assisted by junior defender Eduardo Cirilo and junior midfielder Alexander Gahm. Gahm started the goal-scoring chance by maneuvering to the goal line before lobbing a cross to Cirilo. Cirilo would head the ball up for Neborg, who sent in a scorching bicycle kick to level the match 1-1.
Gahm would keep the magic going with the clock ticking down. Under three minutes to go in the match, Gahm would fire a shot the bounced away from the Whitewater goalkeeper before unselfishly opting to pass the deflected save over to a wide open Bastian Eikeland. The sophomore midfielder would send in a low, skipping shot past the Warhawk defense to secure the comeback win for NPU in th 87th minute.
Goalkeeper Arvid Skoglund anchored the Vikings' defense with two crucial saves, including a late stop on a shot from Aidan Glancey that could have tied the match.
Top Performers
North Park
- Hugo Neborg - 2 goals, 3 shots, 2 shots on goal, 1 game-winner, 90 minutes played
- Alexander Gahm - 2 assists, 1 shot on goal, 67 minutes played
- Arvid Skoglund - 2 saves, 1 goal allowed, 90 minutes played
UW-Whitewater
- Cooper Re (FWD) – 1 goal, 1 shot on goal, 90 minutes played
- Adam Kaup (DEF) – 1 assist, 84 minutes played, 1 yellow card
- Austin Waite (GK) – 3 saves, 2 goals allowed, 90 minutes played
What's Next?
North Park (5-1) has one more non-conference contest before beginning CCIW play. They'll travel to face the Kalamazoo College Hornets (2-4) next Wednesday, September 24. Kickoff at MacKenzie Field is set for 7:00 PM ET.
