Contact: Anna Fox, Sports Information Graduate Assistant, amfox@noctrl.edu
 
Oct. 26, 2024 - In a heartbreaking finish, the North Central College men's soccer team fell to No. 8 North Park University 1-0 on Saturday afternoon in Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium.
 
Both teams were evenly matched throughout the game. In the 18th minute, Viking's Vidar Rydell sent a strike to the Cardinal net but was stopped when the shot was blocked by J.P. Saux. Rydell got the ball and sent a second strike to the Cardinal net; this time, it went in. However, after a meeting, the officials called a handball before the goal, and the goal was called off. 
 
The Cardinals responded quickly, with Saux sending a strike to the Viking net a minute later, but Ludvig Almborg kept the ball out of the back of the net. After several yellow cards from both sides, tensions were heightened. With traffic in front of the Cardinal net, Daniel Szalai could not see the ball, and Viking's Angel Arismendiz fired a strike on the left side of the net. Luckily, a Cardinal defender jumped in and blocked the ball from entering the net. The first half ended in a 0-0 stalemate.
 
When the second half began, the Cardinals and the Vikings increased their pressure on both sides of the ball. After back-and-forth play, Jostein Blindheim shot the first shot on goal in the second half in the 69th minute. Szalai was ready to scoop up the shot.
 
Eloi Nyibizi missed an opportunity before North Park started to tally chances. The Vikings had three missed opportunities before a pass from Hugo Neborg connected with Dennis Rinne, who fired the ball into the Cardinal's net in the 81st minute. With just seconds left of the game, Riccardo Piller fired the ball from in front of the net, just missing wide right. The Cardinals worked hard to even the score, but North Park shut them down to take a 1-0 win.
 
The Cardinals will host Wheaton College Wednesday, Oct. 30, at 7:30 p.m. in Benedetti-Wehrli Stadium for their final regular season game of the season.
 
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