CHICAGO, Ill. – Seven members of the North Park University men's soccer team earned All-College Conference of Illinois & Wisconsin (CCIW) honors for the 2026 season, with three Vikings selected to the First Team and three named to the Second Team.
Bastian Eikeland, Gustav Finér and Carson Belcher received First Team All-CCIW honors, while Eduardo Cirilo, Dennis Rinne and Matthew Engblom were selected to the Second Team. Head Coach Kris Grahn also earned the second Coach of the Year recognition of his career, in addition to specialty awards for Belcher and Finér.
Belcher headlined North Park's offensive showing in conference play, grabbing the CCIW's Offensive Player of the Year nod. The senior forward led the CCIW with eight goals and 20 points across eight league matches. He also tied for second in the conference with four assists while averaging a league-best 2.50 points and 1.00 goal per game. His 8 points in the title-clinching win over Carroll represented the highest single-game point total by a conference player this season.
Finér made an immediate impact during his freshman season, securing Newcomer of the Year honors by the league office. The forward led the conference with 33 shots and an average of 4.13 attempts per game. His five goals ranked third in the CCIW, while his four assists and 14 points placed him among the conference leaders in both categories. He tallied at least one point in seven CCIW games and scored against four conference opponents.
Eikeland completed North Park's First Team group after recording three goals and three assists for nine points in seven conference appearances. He also ranked among the CCIW's top 10 in shots, points, goals and assists while averaging three shots per match to secure his third-consecutive first-team all-conference honor. He had at least one point in three of his final four matches of the regular season.
Cirilo earned Second Team honors during his senior campaign, providing the Vikings with an experienced presence in the midfield. He played 80+ minutes in each of the seven matches he appeared in and his aggressive, hustle-first play style led to many scoring opportunities and defensive stands for the Vikings.
Rinne represented North Park's defensive unit on the Second Team. The junior defender from Stord, Norway was on the field all 90 minutes in 15 different games this season, including every CCIW match. He helped lead the Vikings to three CCIW shutouts and added a goal and assist at Millikin and an assist against Carroll.
Engblom also received recognition for his contributions in the midfield during his freshman season, gathering second team honors. Two of his three assists this season arrived in conference action, including the game-tying assist in an eventual 3-2 win against Wheaton. He played a full 90 in five different conference games, including the title-clinching game against Carroll.
In charge of all these high performers was 8th-year Head Coach Kris Grahn, who enjoys the second CCIW Coach of the Year nod, joining North Central's Enzo Fuschino for a share of the yearly award. Grahn led the Vikings to a 6-0-2 mark in conference play, the Vikings' second undefeated conference slate under Grahn's watch. This is the third 1st-place finish for Grahn, who has guided the Vikings to a top-three finish in six of his seven full seasons at the helm.
Additionally, Hampus Fogelberg was selected as North Park's representative for the CCIW's RESPECT Award.
About the RESPECT Award
At the conclusion of every sports season, each varsity program will recognize one student-athlete as their RESPECT Award honoree. RESPECT Award recipients have distinguished themselves as an integral member of the team, their institution and community by upholding the values of Responsibility, Enthusiasm, Service, Pride, Excellence, Collaboration and Trust. The RESPECT Award recognizes the intangible traits a student-athlete possesses that exemplify great character and encourages inclusiveness and a positive culture.
CCIW Tournament Looming, NPU Enjoys the Bye Weekend
North Park has the weekend away from competition before hosting a CCIW semifinal match on Wednesday, November 4. North Park plays the winner of third-seeded Illinois Wesleyan and sixth-seeded Augustana at 7:00 p.m. CT inside the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
