NAPERVILLE, Ill. -- The Augustana Vikings men's soccer team fell to the North Central Cardinals 5-0 on Wednesday.
The Vikings looked to generate early scoring opportunities against the Cardinals, with Matt Donaghey striking the left post in the 13th minute. Jamie K'Otieno also recorded a shot as Augustana worked to find an opening in the North Central defense.
North Central applied pressure throughout the opening half, finishing with 15 shots and seven corner kicks. Augustana goalkeeper Elias Banke made several saves to keep the Cardinals off the scoreboard early before North Central broke through in the 39th minute. The Cardinals added another goal in the 43rd minute, giving North Central a 2-0 advantage heading into halftime.
The home team extended their lead early in the second half, with a goal in the 66th minute. Less than a minute later, the Cardinals found the back of the net off to make it 4-0. North Central added its fifth and final goal in the 76th minute to conclude scoring.
Augie continued to search for scoring opportunities in the second half, with Donaghey recording another shot in the 58th minute. The Vikings finished with three shots, while North Central registered 23. Banke recorded three saves in nearly 70 minutes of action, and Jahir Anaya added one save in relief.
The Vikings will be back in action for the CCIW Tournament with a game at the No. 3-seeded Illinois Wesleyan on Saturday, Oct. 31.
