WHEATON, Ill., -- North Park Men's Soccer played their first of two games this weekend at the Bob Baptista Invitational, a two-day event hosted by Wheaton College. The Vikings (1-1-1) kicked off the first day of play against the Stags of Claremont-Mudd-Scripps (3-0) from the Southern California Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (SCIAC).
The first half was a scoreless affair, with the Vikings defense stifling the Stags' attack only allowing one shot during the first 45 minutes. Bastian Eikeland led North Park with two shot attempts, with fellow midfielders Vilmer Af Klinteberg and Emil Soelscher each logging a shot apiece. Corner shots were at a premium as well, with the Stags attempting two to the Vikings' one, and despite controlling large stretches of play early, North Park entered halftime still searching for a breakthrough. Both teams played a physical opening half that featured 14 combined fouls and a pair of yellow cards.
The tempo increased significantly after the break as Claremont-Mudd-Scripps pushed numbers forward and created more dangerous opportunities. The Stags finished with 11 second-half shots after attempting only one in the first half. North Park goalkeeper Arvid Skoglund was called upon repeatedly during that stretch and delivered a strong performance notching four saves on the evening. The Vikings nearly grabbed the lead in the 61st minute when they were awarded a penalty kick following a foul in the box. Alexander Gahm stepped to the spot, but the opportunity went unfinished, leaving the match scoreless and setting the stage for a tense final twenty minutes.
North Park continued to attack late in the match. Goalkeeper Axel Jimenez kept the Stags level with saves on shots from Nico Chavez, Thomas Roenning, and Bastian Eikeland during the final 12 minutes. The Vikings earned a corner kick in the 90th minute after sustained pressure around the Claremont-Mudd-Scripps goal. Roenning delivered a dangerous ball into the box, and freshman Hampus Fogelberg rose above the defense to head home the game-winning goal with just 38 seconds remaining in regulation. The goal was Fogelberg's first of the season and Roenning's first assist of the year.
Eikeland paced the North Park attack with four shots and one shot on goal. Fogelberg added two shots and the game-winning goal, while Roenning recorded two shots, one shot on goal, and the assist. Noah Cameron contributed two shots off the bench, and Chavez added a shot on target from the back line. Defensively, Skoglund led the way, playing all 90 minutes and collecting four saves for his first shutout victory of the season. The Viking back line, led by Chavez, Dennis Rinne, and Matthew Engblom, kept the Stags off the scoreboard despite facing a relentless second-half surge that included six corner kicks and 11 shot attempts.
The late tally stood as the only goal of a tightly contested match and improved North Park's record to 2-1-1 on the season, with their next game taking place tomorrow at at 4:30pm at Joe Bean Stadium, wrapping day two of the Bob Baptista Invitational at Wheaton College.
