Contact: Sam Fretto, Athletic Communications Graduate Assistant, sjfretto@noctrl.edu

GALESBURG, Ill. (Aug. 29, 2025) - The North Central College men's soccer team began the 2025 season with a non-conference match against the Knox College Prairie Fire, where they came away with a 2-2 draw after 90 minutes of action from Jorge Pratts Field. 

The Cardinals' offense put the pressure on the Prairie Fire defense to begin the game with four shots in the first 14 minutes of the match. Knox College was up for the challenge, not allowing a score. Two yellow cards were assessed within minutes of each other, including a Lorenzo Monticelli card in the 20th minute, which set up a free kick for Knox. 

The Knox free kick led to an Ethan Thomas goal at the right post to give the Prairie Fire a 1-0 lead. Trailing in the first half, the Cardinals' offense advanced the ball up the field and came away with multiple shots. Freshman Morgan Kurseth fired off two shots, just missing the mark, and after 45 minutes of play, North Central trailed 1-0. 

The second half saw more success than the first for the Cardinals' offense as Kurseth found the back of the net in the 49th minute, for his first career collegiate goal, after he received the ball from a scrum in the middle of the 18-yard box. Knox attempted to answer seconds later with a shot to the top of the net, which goalkeeper Daniel Szalai swatted away for his first save of the season. 

In the 61st minute, North Central jumped ahead 2-1 as freshman defender Griffin French found his first collegiate career goal with an assist from Marco Costabile. The Cardinals looked to put the Prairie Fire away in the 77th minute with a corner kick and a shot on goal from Aleks Duncevic, but goalkeeper Diogo Pereira kept the Cardinals from a third goal. 

Moments later, Tim Chai received a yellow card, which led to a Prairie Fire free kick. The free kick set Knox's Rebello da Silva up for a header, which crept just by the outstretched hand of Szalai to knot the match up 2-2 late in the 78th minute. Both teams attempted to score the go-ahead goal in the final 12 minutes of play but to no avail. 

The Cardinals had six shots on goal to the Prairie Fire's three. Kurseth, French and Costabile, all freshmen, were involved in the Cardinals' two goals in the season opener. 

The Cardinals continue their non-conference schedule with a match against Monmouth College Saturday, Aug. 30, with a 1 p.m. kickoff from Peacock Memorial Athletic Park.