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North Park Soccer Team Preparing in Sweden
CHICAGO, IL (August 17, 2002) - The North Park University (NPU) men's soccer
program nearly earned its first NCAA playoff bid a year ago and a preseason
trip to Sweden should help the Vikings prepare for the 2002 season.
Head Coach John Born's team visits Sweden on Sunday for a one-week
exhibition tour, including training sessions and friendly matches with
Swedish club teams. Swedish players on NPU's team and NPU assistant coach
Goran Aronson (a native of Sweden and NPU alum) helped make connections for
the trip and the team's aggressive fundraising helped defray costs.
With North Park's Swedish heritage, a trip to Sweden seems a natural. And
the school has always had a strong Swedish influence on its campus.
Currently there are more than 50 Swedish students studying at North Park.
The Swedish influence has also aided the men's soccer program. A year ago,
North Park had three Swedish students earn All-College Conference of
Illinois and Wisconsin honors and finish 1-2-3 on NPU's scoring list -
Fredrik Airosto (12 goals, 29 points), Gregor Svensson (5, 14) and Andreas
Olofsson (3, 12). The trio gives the team a legitimate shot at a conference
title, making the preseason trek even more critical to the team's
development.
"Our team is now at a point where we can take a trip like this," said Born,
whose team was 8-7-1 overall, 4-2 for third place in CCIW play in 2001.
"The program has come a long way in a short time and going to Sweden is
only going to enhance things. The training and life experience our players
will acquire will be invaluable."
North Park opens its regular-season men's soccer season August 30 at
Milwaukee
School of Engineering. The Vikings open at home in a 3 p.m. contest against
Aurora University on September 2. The team will play two nonleague games in
Minnesota the following weekend before preparing for its CCIW opener at
Millikin University on September 21.
North Park was rated third of seven teams in the CCIW's recent preseason
coaches poll, but the Vikings defeated conference co-champ and perennial
national power Wheaton College last year. They return 10 of their 11
starters, including the three Swedish standouts and junior goalie Matt
Evans of Quincy, Illinois.
"I think we have the ability this year," Born said of his team's chances to
win the conference. "Last year we were 13 or 14 players deep and this year
we can go 18 or 19 deep. Our freshmen recruits are very strong. And our
leadership is great this year with captains Airosto, Svensson and Shawn
White of New Port Richey, Florida."
Jerry Yang of Inner Grove Heights, Minnesota, and Minnehaha Academy, scored
three goals in 2001 to help North Park's offensive attack. Others with
Covenant connections, according to Born, include returnees Adam Johnson of
Hoffman Estates, Illinois, who grew up at Community Covenant in East
Bridgewater, Massachusetts; Jamie Rose of Wasilla, Alaska, and Mat-Su
Covenant; and Andrew Quigley of Hudson, New Hampshire. A notable transfer
is Ryan Dragstrem of Naperville, Illinois (Naperville
Evangelical Covenant), who played at Bethel College in Minnesota.
For more about the NPU men's soccer team, email Born at jborn@northpark.edu
or call him at 1-800-925-0101. The school's web site, www.northpark.edu,
provides team information via the Student Life/Athletics/men's soccer
links.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
