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Vikings Ranked First in CCIW Soccer Poll
CHICAGO, IL (August 8, 2006) - The College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin has ranked the North Park University Viking men’s soccer team as the top team in the CCIW in its pre-season poll.
Despite the ranking, the two-time CCIW Champions are not taking the ranking for granted. “To those who have been given much, much is expected, and this season should be no different,” says senior co-captain Austin Person. “This year's team has more talent than ever before, and everyone, all the CCIW coaches included, will be expecting big things out of us.”
Fellow senior and co-captain Adam Sinovic adds, “It is exciting to see North Park getting such respect from everyone in the CCIW; it really shows how far we have come as a program.”
Head coach John Born, who was named CCIW Coach of the Year the past two years, adds, “We are humbled and excited by the pre-season poll. It is a testament of all the hard work our players put in the past two years.”
Last year, the Vikings reached the NCAA Tournament for the first time in school history. Born notes that this year is a new season, however, and the team graduated five valuable players, including four defenders. More than 40 players are expected to try out for the 30 spots on the 2006 roster.
“Being favored to finish the season on top of the conference shows that we're not going to be able to sneak up on anyone, something we may have done in the past,” says Person, who was the conference Player of the Year in 2005. “Our opponents are going to bring their best against us every time we step on the field.”
The team also will be looking to repeat its success off the field as well. The men earned the Team Academic Award from the Soccer Coaches of America Association for attaining a cumulative grade point average of 3.07. The Vikings were the only team in the CCIW to score above a 3.0 GPA and only one of 65 NCAA men's soccer teams at any level.
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