WAUKESHA, Wis. – Carroll University women's soccer closed out the regular season Wednesday night with a 1-0 loss to North Park at Schneider Stadium, as an early Vikings goal proved to be the difference in a tightly contested match. The Pioneers finished the night with eight shots, putting five on frame, but were unable to find the equalizer.
North Park struck just 2:13 into the match when Nikki Geijer found the back of the net unassisted, giving the Vikings an early 1-0 advantage. Carroll settled in following the opening goal and began generating opportunities of its own, with Carmella Nowak putting a pair of first-half attempts on target before Madison Milhaupt forced another save in the 44th minute.
The Pioneers continued searching for the tying goal after halftime. Alexa Karagiannis tested North Park goalkeeper Makenna Harvey less than three minutes into the second half before Nowak added another shot on goal in the 64th minute. Ellie Patrickus provided Carroll's final attempt of the night in the 77th minute, but the Pioneers couldn't break through.
Nowak paced Carroll's attack with five of the team's eight shots and three shots on goal. Milhaupt and Karagiannis each registered a shot on target, while Patrickus accounted for the Pioneers' other attempt. In goal, Ava Lewandowski made five saves over the full 90 minutes, keeping Carroll within one throughout the night.
North Park finished with a 16-8 advantage in shots and a 6-3 edge in corner kicks, while each side placed five shots on goal. Carroll held the Vikings scoreless over the final 87-plus minutes, but the early tally ultimately stood as the night's lone goal.
With the regular season now complete, the Pioneers turn their attention to postseason play. Sixth-seeded Carroll will face third-seeded Illinois Wesleyan in the quarterfinal round of the CCIW Tournament on Saturday, with the match time still to be determined.
