MINNEAPOLIS, MN., -- The Vikings (2-2) took the long trip north to face off against Augsburg University (1-4) looking to bounce back after their 3-0 loss to #3 University of Chicago on Wednesday. Catching the Auggies on the back half of a back-to-back, North Park came into this matched up well rested and eager to get back on track.
North Park controlled the match for much of the afternoon, generating a season-high 21 shots and holding Augsburg to only four total attempts. The Vikings dictated possession from the opening whistle and spent most of the first half attacking the Augsburg defensive third. Early chances came from Sofia Svensson and Maja Applequist, who each forced saves from Augsburg goalkeeper Claire Smothers. North Park continued to apply pressure through a series of corner kicks and dangerous attacking sequences as the Auggies struggled to find any breathing room. Just minutes after entering the match, Emilie Østlyngen found the back of the net at the 31:49 mark, giving the Vikings the 1-0 advantage. The goal capped a strong stretch of play for North Park, who outshot Augsburg 7-0 at that point in the match. Østlyngen nearly doubled the lead later in the half, but Smothers came up with another save to keep the deficit at one.
The Vikings continued their offensive surge late in the opening period. Following a corner kick in the 43rd minute, Maja Applequist delivered the setup for Lily Cerjak, who scored at 42:44 to extend North Park's lead to 2-0 just before half. The goal was Cerjak's first of the season, while Applequist recorded her second assist of the season. North Park carried the two-goal cushion into halftime after leading Augsburg in total shots 9-0.
While the scoreboard favored the Vikings, the second half became a story of missed opportunities. North Park continued to create chances throughout the final 45 minutes, totaling 12 second-half shots. Amara Olivas tested Smothers early, while Almi Palmér, Sofia Svensson, and Nikki Geijer all put shots on frame that required saves. Despite the consistent pressure, Smothers repeatedly kept the Auggies within striking distance and finished with seven saves on the afternoon. The Vikings finished with a 21-4 advantage in shots and a 9-2 edge in shots on goal while also holding a 6-0 advantage in corner kicks. Applequist led North Park with three shots, one assist, and one shot on goal. Five different Vikings recorded two shots each: Østlyngen, Caroline Sjøstedt, Ava Balmaseda, Geijer, and Björkegren. Svensson put both of her shots on target, while Palmér added two attempts with one shot on goal.
Despite the onslaught of pressure from the Vikings, Augsburg finally broke through in the 80th minute. McKenna Nachreiner and Charlotte Sussman combined to set up Kaidin Camp, who scored at 79:12 to cut the North Park lead to 2-1. The goal came on one of Augsburg's few sustained attacking opportunities of the match and shifted momentum heading into the final 10 minutes. In the 88th minute, North Park goalkeeper Makenna Harvey was assessed a red card following a foul in the box. Reserve goalkeeper Faith Grunwald entered the match, but Augsburg was awarded a penalty kick. Eliza Cory converted the spot kick at 87:28, leveling the score at 2-2 and completing the comeback to end the match in a tie.
The Vikings move to 2-2-1 with only a handful of games left before CCIW play. Their next match up is set for Monday, September 14th when they make the short trip to Stuart Field to play an Illinois Institute of Technology team that is receiving votes in the national polls. The match is set to start at 7pm on Monday.
