CHICAGO, Ill. -- The North Park University men's soccer team continues to gain traction as the Vikings moved up two spots to No. 21 in the latest United Soccer Coaches (USC) Division III Top 25 Poll. The ranking comes on the heels of the Vikings' eighth league title following their win over Carroll last Wednesday, extending their unbeaten streak to 16 matches while marking their 26th consecutive winning season.
The Vikings enter the CCIW Tournament as the No. 2 seed after finishing conference play with a 6-0-2 record. Their regular-season title share earned them a quarterfinal bye and home-field advantage in Wednesday night's upcoming semifinal against Augustana College at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. A victory would send North Park to the CCIW Tournament Championship match on Saturday against the winner of Wheaton and North Central.
Leading the North Park attack is senior forward - and CCIW Offensive Player of the Year - Carson Belcher, who tops the Vikings with nine goals, 22 points, and five game-winning goals. Belcher is coming off a memorable performance in North Park's regular-season finale against Carroll, where he recorded a hat trick in a 6-0 victory that secured the program's share of the conference title.
Freshman forward - and the CCIW's Newcomer of the Year - Gustav Finér has matched Belcher's offensive production with nine goals and 22 points of his own, while junior midfielder Bastian Eikeland has provided firepower a a first-team all-conference player with five goals, five assists, and 15 points.
North Park closed the regular season in dominant fashion, winning its final three matches against Elmhurst, Millikin, and Carroll by a combined 14-2 margin. The Vikings have scored 37 goals this season while allowing only 15, averaging more than two goals per match.
Defensively, North Park has recorded nine shutouts and has relied on a strong goalkeeping duo throughout the year. Sophomore goalkeeper Arvid Skoglund owns an 8-1-2 record with six shutouts, while junior goalkeeper Melker Regland has also contributed multiple clean sheets. The Viking back line, led by junior defender and second-team all-conference pick Dennis Rinne, has helped North Park allow less than one goal per game.
Wednesday's semifinal opponent, Augustana, enters the contest with a 6-4-6 overall record after advancing through the conference quarterfinal round. The Vikings from Rock Island are led offensively by Lambis Fostiropoulos, Jamie K'Otieno, and Silas Wise, who each have four goals on the season.
Augustana advanced over defending tournament champs Illinois Wesleyan this past Saturday in Bloomington, as all three of the Titans' shots missed or were stopped by Augie keeper Jahir Anaya. The win marked the first playoff triumph for Augustana since the 2006 season.
When to Watch
Kickoff for the CCIW Tournament semifinal is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. CT on Wednesday, November 4, inside the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The winner advances to the CCIW Tournament Championship match against either Wheaton or North Central and moves one step closer to securing the conference's automatic bid to the NCAA Division III Tournament.