KALAMAZOO, Mich. – The North Park men's soccer team remained unbeaten for the fifth consecutive match Wednesday night, earning a 2-0 road victory over Kalamazoo at MacKenzie Field. The Vikings improved to 3-1-2 on the season behind second-half goals from sophomore defender David Tracewicz and freshman forward Gustav Finér.
North Park controlled much of the first half, outshooting Kalamazoo 8-3 while creating several quality scoring opportunities. Senior forward Carson Belcher, sophomore forward Noah Cameron, sophomore midfielder Vilmer Af Klinteberg, and freshman forward Gustav Finér all put shots on target, but Hornets goalkeeper Darius Wright III kept the match scoreless with four saves in the opening 45 minutes. One of the closest chances the Vikings had at breaking the scoreless tie in the first half was a close range shot by Cameron that struck the crossbar. On the other end, sophomore goalkeeper Arvid Skoglund turned away a shot from Zach Holden to send the teams into halftime tied 0-0.
The Hornets applied pressure early in the second half and nearly broke through. Simon Sawyer, Ben Battreall, and Macuoc Dud each forced saves from Skoglund during a stretch in which Kalamazoo generated several dangerous chances.
North Park found its breakthrough in the 68th minute when sophomore defender David Tracewicz delivered an incredible corner kick directly into the upper-left corner of the net, giving the Vikings a 1-0 lead at 67:33. The goal was Tracewicz's first of his career.
The Vikings struck again just over two minutes later. After a foul in the box awarded North Park a penalty kick, freshman midfielder Matthew Engblom's attempt was stopped by Wright's legs. The rebound stayed alive, though, and freshman forward Gustav Finér cleaned up from close range at 69:45 to double the lead to 2-0. Finér also enjoyed this score as the first of his collegiate career.
Kalamazoo continued to push forward in the closing stages, but the Viking defense held firm for its fourth-straight shutout. Skoglund, the reigning CCIW Defensive Player of the Week, capped his shutout effort with a direct save on Ryan Clark's shot in the final minute, finishing the night with five saves. Wright recorded seven saves for the Hornets.
North Park finished with advantages in shots (18-10) and shots on goal (9-5), while both teams recorded four corner kicks. Finér led the Vikings with four shots, and Skoglund earned the shutout as North Park extended its unbeaten streak to five matches and its shutout streak to four. The Vikings have allowed just one goal in their past five games.
What's Next?
North Park (3-1-2) concludes a four-game road trip by traveling to Angola, Indiana to face Trine University (2-2-1) on Saturday, September 19.
