ORANGE CITY, IOWA — Following Friday's victory over Dordt, Men's Soccer did not have long to recover before facing Northwestern College on Saturday night. The game finished 1-1 in an entertaining, equal contest that crowned the Vikings Pizza Ranch Classic 2024 Champions.

Undoubtedly, the Vikings entered this contest with some tired bodies due to the grinding win over Dordt just 24 hours prior. Despite this, the mentality was more vital than ever for the Vikings, showing fight and aggression from the get-go after a morale-boosting last-minute winner the night before. The tricky wingers of Northwestern showed early on that this was their biggest threat, but the strong defense and determination from the Vikings neutralized these threats. Squad rotation and substitutions were always going to be vital, and the introduction of 7 players off the bench injected some fresh legs and energy into proceedings during the 1st half. One of those substitutes, Lier Ayarza, tested the keeper in the 41st minute, but the half ended 0-0.

In the 2nd half, the game carried a more physical edge, with 17 fouls being awarded and 5 yellow cards being brandished. In the 62nd minute, the seven substitutes entered the field again, and it did not take long for them to make an impact. Braden Schoene and Samuel Londono hustled hard to win a corner in the 63rd minute. Fellow substitute Dylan Hunston would take the in-swinging corner, and the rising Paulo Marques connected perfectly with the cross to head the ball into the bottom corner, leaving the Northwestern goalkeeper no chance. The Vikings maintained control for most of the game. However, a set piece would allow the Raiders to equalize with 7 minutes left on the clock, and the game ended 1-1. However, a tie-game was all the Vikings needed to be crowned champions of the Pizza Ranch Classic 2024 and move Men's Soccer to 2-2-1 for the season thus far.

SCORING SUMMARY
63:24 – GRAND VIEW - Paulo Marques (Assist: Dylan Hunston)
82:53 – NORTHWESTERN - Nikko Helderop (Assist: Stan van den Beld)


MATCH NOTES
•    Dylan Hunston made his 1st career assist for Paulo Marques to score his first Vikings goal
•    First time the Vikings have faced Northwestern in 15 years, with the last competitive fixture taking place in 2009
•    Charlie Wells was the only Viking to complete 180 minutes of play in this weekend's doubleheader


UP NEXT
Men's Soccer returns home to Cownie Soccer Complex on Thursday afternoon to face off against Briar Cliff University. This game kicks off at 3 PM in Des Moines, IA.