CHICAGO, Ill. -- North Park dropped its CCIW opener on Saturday afternoon, falling 2-0 to Wheaton at Holmgren Athletic Complex.
The Thunder grabbed an early lead just 2:22 into the contest on an own goal and carried the 1-0 advantage into halftime despite a strong offensive showing from the Vikings. Senior forward Caroline Sjøstedt put two shots on target in the opening half, while sophomore defender Ava Balmaseda and senior midfielder Amara Olivas also tested Wheaton goalkeeper Leah Roe.
North Park continued to create chances after the break. Sophomore forward Lily Cerjak forced a pair of saves early in the second half, and Sjøstedt added another dangerous attempt as the Vikings searched for an equalizer. Wheaton weathered the pressure and doubled its lead in the 60th minute when Lily Lindquist finished a pass from Calah Strong to make it 2-0.
The Vikings matched the Thunder with 16 shots in the match. Sjøstedt led North Park with four attempts, while Cerjak added three and both players placed two shots on goal. Roe finished with six saves for Wheaton, while sophomore goalkeeper Makenna Harvey stopped four shots for North Park.
The loss drops the Vikings to 3-6-1 overall and 0-1-0 in CCIW play. North Park returns to action on Saturday, October 3, to play at Augustana.
