CHICAGO, Ill. -- The No. 22 North Park men's soccer team continued its impressive run through conference play on Wednesday night, rallying from an early deficit to defeat Carthage 2-1 at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The victory extended the Vikings' winning streak to seven matches and their unbeaten streak to 11 while keeping them as the only unbeaten team in CCIW play at 3-0.
The Firebirds (2-8-1, 0-4 CCIW) struck first in the ninth minute when Eli Schoffstall converted a chance off low-skipping, sharp pass from Dennis Valle through the box to give the visitors a 1-0 lead.
North Park (9-1-2, 3-0 CCIW) controlled possession and pressure throughout much of the opening half, eventually finding the equalizer in the 26th minute. Sophomore midfielder Vilmer Af Klinteberg scored the first goal of his North Park career, finishing a setup from junior midfielder Bastian Eikeland and junior midfielder Oliver Marchetti Gaardman. Eikeland received the first action from Marchetti Gaardman, kept his back to the Firebirds' defenders before finding Af Klinteberg, whose first touch ended up becoming his first tally in an NPU uniform.
Tied at 1-1, the Vikings wasted little time taking control after halftime. In the 54th minute, senior forward Carson Belcher found the back of the net off an assist from freshman forward Gustav Finér, scoring what proved to be the game-winning goal and putting North Park ahead 2-1. Finér's fancy footwork and speed up the right side beat the Firebirds again, before his pass along the endline found a quick redirect from Belcher to give NPU the 2-1 lead.
Carthage pushed for an equalizer in the final stages, recording nine second-half shots and forcing several key saves. Junior goalkeeper Melker Regland stood tall for the Vikings, making four saves on the night, including a pair of crucial stops in the closing minutes to preserve the victory.
North Park finished with advantages in shots (17-11), shots on goal (6-5), and corner kicks (8-0).Â
What's Next?
North Park hosts Illinois Wesleyan University (6-1-2, 2-0-1) in a 2025 CCIW Tournament Championship rematch. Kickoff, following the 1:00 PM women's game, is set for 4:00 PM CT at the Holmgren Athletic Complex.
