CCIW

[thePietist]

Good grief, that's a big flag!
Can someone tell me about the rules for shootouts?  None of NP's 2OT games have gone to PKs following a draw.  Would this only happen in tournament play?  Is this rule consistent across all of D3?

[Gregory Sager]

Yes, in regular-season play any tie after the second overtime results in a draw.

Last night really upped the ante on the NPU/Wheaton rivalry. The attendance was listed at 2,902, which is pretty near capacity for Hedstrand Field. (A lot of D3 soccer programs would love to get 2,902 fans for the entire season.) Wheaton had a very sizeable following present as well, with students, parents, and alumni represented. As for Foster's Finest ... they were berserk last night. I wish that they would turn up in such numbers and with such volume and creativity for every game, rather than saving it all up for when the archrivals come to town. They provided a big boost for the Vikings last night, never flagging even when NPU went down in the second half, 2-0.

It was a pretty even match. The shot totals were very close. NPU was more physical, but Wheaton dished out its fair share of blocks, grabs, and elbows as well. I thought that NPU looked slightly better in the midfield, but Wheaton made more out of its rushes, dominating in the corners and forcing the Vikings into several hard-pressed errors that led to corner kicks and close-in free kicks from the angle. Wheaton scored all three of its goals off of such set plays. NPU got all of its goals out of open play, and in large part it was due to John Born rolling the dice with his team trailing by thinning out his back line in order to put more bodies up top.

When Pettersson scored with thirty seconds left in regulation to tie the game, it got as loud as I've ever heard it at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The official scorer and I were shouting at each other in the press box over the noise of the crowd so that we could establish who got the assist, and we weren't sitting more than eight feet away from each other. It was absolute bedlam in the stadium.

I wasn't sure about whether or not this NPU team had any heart, considering the erratic start to the season suffered by the Vikings and their tendency to lose their grip in key moments. But I'm not doubting it after last night. To come back on a team with Wheaton's ability the way that the Vikes did shows me that NPU has plenty of heart. I'm hoping that last night was a turning point in terms of their focus and their intensity.

Wheaton gets credit for going into the most hostile stadium in which the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance will ever have to play and coming out with a draw. NPU gets credit for coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the final 13 minutes of regulation (and a 3-2 deficit in the final minute) to earn the draw. Both sides played a high-powered, physical, and skillful game with just a small mistake here or there that opened up things for the opposition. It was quite a memorable evening, with a European-style vibe in the stands that really highlighted what an intense rivalry NPU vs. WC has become over the past decade.

[NCF]

North Central men dropped a 2-1 decision to IWU to go to 7-3. The women also lost to IWU (4-1) to drop their conference opener and go 3-6 on the season.

[Gotberg]

Yes, in regular-season play any tie after the second overtime results in a draw.

Last night really upped the ante on the NPU/Wheaton rivalry. The attendance was listed at 2,902, which is pretty near capacity for Hedstrand Field. (A lot of D3 soccer programs would love to get 2,902 fans for the entire season.) Wheaton had a very sizeable following present as well, with students, parents, and alumni represented. As for Foster's Finest ... they were berserk last night. I wish that they would turn up in such numbers and with such volume and creativity for every game, rather than saving it all up for when the archrivals come to town. They provided a big boost for the Vikings last night, never flagging even when NPU went down in the second half, 2-0.

It was a pretty even match. The shot totals were very close. NPU was more physical, but Wheaton dished out its fair share of blocks, grabs, and elbows as well. I thought that NPU looked slightly better in the midfield, but Wheaton made more out of its rushes, dominating in the corners and forcing the Vikings into several hard-pressed errors that led to corner kicks and close-in free kicks from the angle. Wheaton scored all three of its goals off of such set plays. NPU got all of its goals out of open play, and in large part it was due to John Born rolling the dice with his team trailing by thinning out his back line in order to put more bodies up top.

When Pettersson scored with thirty seconds left in regulation to tie the game, it got as loud as I've ever heard it at the Holmgren Athletic Complex. The official scorer and I were shouting at each other in the press box over the noise of the crowd so that we could establish who got the assist, and we weren't sitting more than eight feet away from each other. It was absolute bedlam in the stadium.

I wasn't sure about whether or not this NPU team had any heart, considering the erratic start to the season suffered by the Vikings and their tendency to lose their grip in key moments. But I'm not doubting it after last night. To come back on a team with Wheaton's ability the way that the Vikes did shows me that NPU has plenty of heart. I'm hoping that last night was a turning point in terms of their focus and their intensity.

Wheaton gets credit for going into the most hostile stadium in which the Sonic Atmospheric Disturbance will ever have to play and coming out with a draw. NPU gets credit for coming back from a 2-0 deficit in the final 13 minutes of regulation (and a 3-2 deficit in the final minute) to earn the draw. Both sides played a high-powered, physical, and skillful game with just a small mistake here or there that opened up things for the opposition. It was quite a memorable evening, with a European-style vibe in the stands that really highlighted what an intense rivalry NPU vs. WC has become over the past decade.

I wish I had been able to see the game, but I had another commitment earlier that evening and I wasn't able to drive in on time.  I listened to part of the game on the radio (thanks Wheaton!), but turned it off after NPU was down 2-0.  I couldn't believe it the next morning when I saw the final score was 3-3.

Are IWU and Carthage for real?  Or are they just playing easier competition...?

[Gotberg]

North Park defeated Dubuque last night, scoring 4 goals in the final 20 minutes.  That is 2 consecutive games with several goals scored towards the end of the game.

I hope they can figure out what they are doing differently at the end of games, and keep that approach throughout an entire 90 minutes.

[NCF]

North Central picked up their first win over Elmhurst since 2004, by a score of 3-0.

[Saldner F.F.]

I can't get the Augustana - North Park stream to work? Anyone else having the same problem or ideas how to fix it?

[Gregory Sager]

NPU ties Augie in Rock Island. That's a very bad draw for the Park, one of those draws that feels like a loss. NPU is gonna have to really step it up now.

[thePietist]

Of course they tied.  Neutrality is a Swedish virtue.

[tjcummingsfan]

$8 to watch the NP v UW-O game!  That's absurd!

[Gregory Sager]

$8 to watch the NP v UW-O game!  That's absurd!

NPU won, so I would've ended up happy if I had bit the bullet and paid the money to watch, but I had a meeting at church tonight.

Jakob Aronsson got both NPU goals, presumably off of corners. Nice to see someone stepping up in the James Kriticos role for the Vikings. And it's especially nice to see Aronsson playing entire games now, as he's been plagued by a badly-sprained ankle for weeks now. Aronsson's a great defender, and he's missed when he's not on the pitch for NPU.

[NCF]

North Central lost in double OT to Wheaton last night by a 4-3 score. They are now 1-2 in CCIW play.

[NCF]

North Central dropped a 2-1 decision to Carthage yesterday at B-W stadium last night

[voiceofseason]

Not a real lively board this year.  Illinois Wesleyan's game with Beloit is cancelled tonight - Beloit lost a game to weather last weekend so they had to reschedule that game (conference game) for tonight.

[NCF]

North Central's men defeated Carthage 2-1, to improve their season record to 9-6, 2-3 in CCIW play.