Contact: Anna Fox, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, amfox@noctrl.edu
 
Nov. 11, 2023 - In a late-night, high-energy, passionate game, the North Central College men's soccer team was not able to get past the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. The Cardinals fell to the Blugolds 2-1 in the First Round of the NCAA Tournament.
 
The game started slow with both teams stripping each other of the ball. Edoardo Bonifacio had the first shot for the Cardinals, but was off target, sending the ball above the top right of the net.
 
The Blugolds recorded two shots on goal, one by Sam Lynch and one from Nathan Donovan, but both shots were stopped by Cardinals goalkeeper Sid Marquardt.
 
With momentum going back and forth between the teams, the half ended with Aidan Westerberg firing a shot off as time ticked down in the 44th minute of the game.
 
In the second half, Wisconsin-Eau Claire was able to capitalize early. In the 50th minute of the game, Donovan received a pass from Carter Thiesfield and fired the ball into the back of the Cardinals' net.
 
Gaining momentum after the first goal, the Blugolds upped their pace. Only two minutes later, Wisconsin-Eau Claire put the ball into the Cardinal net again with a shot from Donovan off a pass from Thiesfield.
 
The Cardinals did not give up, and in the 71st minute, they cut the Blugolds lead in half. Pepijn Hakstege got the ball from Westerberg. Hakstege found room from his defender and fired the ball into the back of the net past Blugolds goalkeeper Belknap.
 
With time ticking down. North Central was not able to get another shot past Belknap.
 
The Blugolds held a 18-15 advantage in shots and saves (5-3). Meanwhile, the Cardinals inched just ahead of the Blugolds in shots on goal, 6-5.
 
North Central sends off six veteran seniors: Jack Fairwood, Herman Hesby, Ty Konrad, Eloi Nyibizi, Sid Marquardt, and Aidan Westerberg. In a bitter ending, do not look past these senior's accomplishments. They have left their mark on the program individually and as a team.
 
Westerberg holds the program record for career assists (21) and is tied for third for the season assist record (11). Marquardt holds the record for career shutouts (21).
 
The seniors have been a part of three NCAA Tournaments. They made program history by being the first team to make it into the tournament in 2020, as well as making it into the Second Round for the first time in 2022. They won the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin in 2021 and 2022. The last time North Central won the tournament before 2021 had been in 1991. This year the team was ranked the highest ever in program history at No. 4 in the United Soccer Coaches Top-25 Poll. Finally, they helped make program history in 2022 by setting the program record for The Best Team Record (17-1-4), as well as the Longest Unbeaten Streak (20).
 
It may not have been the ending North Central wanted but in the end they put up quite a fight. The Cardinals ended their season with an overall record of 15-3-2.
 
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