ROCK ISLAND -- The Augustana Vikings men's soccer team will remain home on Wednesday, October 9, for a mid-week conference showdown against the North Central Cardinals. 

The Vikings enter the contest with a 3-3-1 overall record and 0-2 in conference play. Augie returns to action after falling to Carroll on Saturday by a score of 1-0. The team had a strong showing on defense throughout the game, beginning with five saves out of six Pioneers shots on target in the opening half. Carroll notched the lone goal of the match in the first half and held Augie without a shot. 

Returning to the field, the Vikings and Pioneers saw another defensive battle, with Ismail Bennani, George Rucker, Diego San Pedro, Jimmie Kucaba, and Jackson Binder all tallied shots in the final 45 minutes of action. Benjamin Samuelson saved 12 shots in his 90 minutes in goal.

North Central sits at 4-2-4 on the season and tied Carroll in their conference season opener back on September 28. The Cardinals return to CCIW play after collecting a 3-2 non-conference win against Kalamazoo on Saturday. Luis Aviles and Tommaso Polidori collected a goal apiece, while the team notched the final goal and Lucas Visser saved one of the three shots on target. North Central holds a 2-0-3 away record with their last road match being the draw against Carroll.

Both teams have won 19 times against each other along with three ties in the all-time series. The Cardinals won last season's meeting in Rock Island by a score of 5-0.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7 p.m. The live stream can be viewed here.