Home
Expectations High for North Park Soccer
CHICAGO, IL (August 28, 2004) - The men's and women's soccer teams at North
Park University (NPU) return most of their key players from last year -
giving coaches John Born and Bob Usselman much to be optimistic about.
The men's team compiled a 10-4-4 record in 2003, placing third in the
College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) and earning regional
ranking for a time. Born called it his most enjoyable season since
arriving in Chicago six years ago.
The Vikings' top scorer from a year ago, Isaac Lee, is now playing in a
German club soccer program. However, NPU has All-Conference picks Darryl
Payne and Henrik
Wihlborg back at midfield and defense respectively and a few Covenanters
who will bolster the midfield.
"We're deeper than we were last year," said Born, who is 43-32-17 as
North Park's coach. "We're also more talented and I have confidence in
all of the guys on the team. Playing time is going to be hard to
determine. But some high-level soccer teams have the
best talent but don't play well together. I'm wondering whether our
playing styles and chemistry all come together."
Junior forward Matt Moncada has scored 13 goals in two years at NPU and
is the top returning goal scorer. The Vikings hope P.J. Eriksson
(Sweden) and Dfalh Younis (Sudan) can add some offensive punch to
replace the eight goals Lee tallied in 2003.
A host of players with Covenant connections will also be counted upon to
help North Park's offense. Sophomore Nick Bruckner from Chicago (North
Park Covenant Church)
scored five goals last year at forward. Senior midfielder Adam Johnson
grew up in East Bridgewater, Massachusetts (Community Covenant) and had
five goals, six assists in 2003. Midfielder Jon-Erik Johnson of
Westminster, Colorado, and junior defender Jamie Rose of Mat-Su Covenant
in Wasilla, Alaska, also could help the offense. Sophomore Austin Person
of Omaha, Nebraska, will get most of the playing time in goal,
replacing four-year starter Matt Evans.
North Park's men's team opens regular season play on September 4 with a
1 p.m. home match against Ohio Northern University and hosts Marian
College of Wisconsin the
next day at the same time. The team plays its CCIW opener at Illinois
Wesleyan on September 25.
The women's team has a new coach, Bob Usselman, and a new system but
most every key starter is back from a team that compiled a 7-10-2 mark
in 2003. Usselman,
previously an assistant coach at the University of South Dakota, hopes
his team can better its 1-4-2 CCIW mark last fall. If attitude has
anything to do with it, he thinks North Park will see vast improvement.
"I've never been around a group of people like this one," Usselman said.
"They're coachability is just amazing. I've brought a new system to the
table and I hope it'll spark us offensively. They're pretty excited
about it and I've been working with a core
group of players intensely. They're getting the coaching they need and
they should all know what we expect of them."
Katie Rose (Jamie's sister) and Abbie Frank will be the team's top
forwards under Usselman, and assistant coach Courtney Budd. Rose
graduated from college but is taking master's degree courses at North
Park Theological Seminary while taking advantage of her fourth year of
athletic eligibility. She is among the school's career leaders in goals
(14), assists (13) and points (41). She was also an Academic All-CCIW
player a year ago. Frank, a captain on this year's team, had four goals
and three assists last fall. She grew up at Salem Covenant Church in New
Brighton, Minnesota, as did midfielder Lindsay Lundgren. Angela Zirk, a
senior, will also get plenty of playing time up front. She's from
Rochester Covenant in Minnesota.
At midfield, converted goalie Erin Neises and Carly Thomforde (Faith
Covenant in Burnsville, Minnesota) are expected to be key players for
the Vikings. Outside midfield players include juniors Erin Robertson
(Pine Lake Covenant, Sammamish, Washington)
and Lundgren. "Erin and Carly pressure the ball like crazy (defensively)
and they're both wonderful attacking players. If we can keep them all
together it'll be a dynamic group."
Among the newcomers, Janna Zwilling has made an impression at midfield
and fellow freshman Louisa Anderson should see playing time in that area
as well. Both players come from the Twin Cities in Minnesota.
Usselman is counting on returning defenders Jenny Delcamp, Rachel
Anderson, Melanie Morgan, and Mallory Nelson to keep opponents in check.
Morgan scored five goals in 2003 and Nelson had an All-Conference season
in 2002. Anderson is from Excelsior Covenant Church in Excelsior,
Minnesota. Sophomore Sarah Primozic was a
part-time starter at goalie a year ago.
The Viking women will open their season with a 4 p.m. home match versus
Rockford College on September 1. After matches at Bethel College of St.
Paul, Minnesota and the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse on September 3
and 4 respectively, North Park has three home matches in a row,
including its CCIW opener against Wheaton College on September 15.
Copyright © 2008 The Evangelical Covenant Church. |
