Box Score
CHICAGO, Ill. – Kelly Farell (St. Ursula Academy, Sylvania, Ohio) converted a penalty kick in the 77th minute Saturday to lift Augustana to a 1-0 CCIW-opening win at North Park. The 14th-ranked Vikings improve to 8-1-2 on the year, while the hosts drop to 3-5-1.
 
Coach Scott Mejia's side bounced back from its first loss of the season as it opened its CCIW title defense with the program's eighth consecutive regular season conference victory. After seeing a five-match shutout streak broken at MSOE on Wednesday, the Viking defense posted its seventh goose egg in 11 matches.
 
Augustana controlled the run of play in the opening half, outshooting the hosts by a 10-4 margin. That changed early in the second period, as North Park took 11 shots alone between the 53rd and 68th minutes. In a five minute stretch the hosts got off four shots, putting two on goal and one off the crossbar.
 
After weathering that barrage, the Augustana defense picked up, denying North Park a shot attempt for the next 11 minutes. Meanwhile, Farell buried the penalty kick for her team-leading seventh goal of the season. The hosts got off an additional four shots in the waning minutes, none of which were on goal.
 
Sophomore goalkeeper Meredith Chew (Paradise Valley HS, Phoenix, Ariz.) recorded five saves on the way to her third solo shutout this season.
 
Total shots ended up dead even at 19, although Augustana put nine on goal to just five for the hosts. North Park had a 6-4 advantage in corners.
 
Mejia's Vikings face another CCIW road test on Wednesday, October 9 at Carthage. That will be the second of four consecutive road matches to open Augustana's CCIW schedule.