CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park Men's Soccer suffered their first setback in a 2-1 loss to now-12th-ranked WashU on September 16 but swiftly got back on track with a 2-1 late, comeback win at UW-Whitewater last Friday. The gritty win arrived at the perfect time, as the Vikings head to Augustana on Saturday for their first College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) match of the season.
North Park (5-1) remained the only CCIW team in the United Soccer Coaches' National Top 25 poll this past Tuesday, settling in at 16th in the newest poll. An always-steady North Park defense continues to boast one of the best scoring defenses in Division III, allowing 0.83 goals per game and just 20 shots on goal all season.
Junior defender Kevin Perez (Glenview, Ill.) and senior midfielder Vidar Rydell (Varberg, Sweden) have three and two goals, respectively, this season as Rydell leads NPU with seven shots on goal and seven points.
Rydell, junior midfielder Mathias Soerum (Brumunddal, Norway), and sophomore midfielder Alexander Gahm (Träslövsläge, Sweden) all have multiple assists in six games played. 11 different Vikings have found the back of the net and 16 different players have logged a shot on goal.
Ludvig Almborg (Anderstorp, Sweden) and Arvid Skoglund (Göteborg, Sweden) have split time in goal, with Alborg's four starts representing the top mark. Almborg has saved 11 shots with a 1.00 GAA while Skoglund has a 2-0-0 record with a pair of saves.
Augustana (2-3-2) lost two of its past three matches but enjoyed its first shutout win on Tuesday with a 1-0 triumph against Coe College.
Eight Rock Island Vikings have registered a goal this year, but none have tallied more than that. Freshman forward Javi Landin has experienced the most opportunities with four shots on goal. Sophomore defenders Jamie K'Otieno and Alex Sanchez Collado represent the only players with an assist for Augie.
Freshman goalkeeper William Gabrielsson has started every match for the Vikings, saving 36 shots with a 1.57 GAA.
Kickoff on Saturday, September 27, at Thorson-Lucken Field in Rock Island is set for 5:00 PM, following the women's match.
