SATURDAY, October 28鈥�2017
The red-hot North Park Men鈥檚 Soccer team is now the number-one ranked team in the region, thanks to some recent wins, including a 3-0 shutout over division foe North Central College on Wednesday evening.
The Vikings are ranked 8th in the latest NCAA poll of Division III United Soccer Coaches. The team has also broken into D3Soccer.com鈥檚 rankings, notching the 18th spot nationally. North Park is part of the College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW).
鈥淭his is the best team that we鈥檝e had at North Park in my 21 years here,鈥� said Jack Surridge, 萝莉社鈥檚 Director of Athletics. 鈥淭hey have balance in scoring and depth at all positions. They are fit, unselfish, and well-coached.鈥�
This year鈥檚 team boasts a diverse, international roster, with players from as far as Sweden, Norway, Germany, and England, and as close as Chicago, Michigan, and Minnesota. One player hails from the neighboring Von Steuben Metro Science High School.
This week, the NCAA regional committee will rank the region again and seed the national tournament.
But first, the Vikings face a key contest, tonight, against Elmhurst College on the road. The team will then face the #4 ranked CCIW team at home. If they win, they will face the winner of the #2 v #3 CCIW game.
The winner of that game receives an automatic qualifier berth in the tournament. A win would also put the Vikings in a strong position to host the first two rounds of the NCAA National Tournament the following week, according to Surridge.