A brand look, both in strategy and starters, was not enough to keep the Vikings from losing 1-7 to the Chiefs. Still playing without Melanie Allen, and playing last night also without keeper Caylin Manary or reserves Lauren Fetty, Andrea Wynn and Anna Bingham, the Vikings put a bit of a patchwork lineup out on the field. After an early goal on last night’s starter Maddie George that put the Chiefs up 1-0, the Vikings answered quickly. Mckenzi Payton, playing at center mid for the first half of Thursday’s game, put a nice effort right off the crossbar. Soon after Payton’s close-call, Meaghan Allen got an opportunity from just outside the 18′ and finished it to tie the match at 1-1. The halftime score was 1-3 Chiefs, but the Vikings could not keep it close (and at the end of the match had one healthy sub on the bench). Jessica Maerz had what was possibly her best game of the season for the Vikings. Starting at sweeper (a position that is normally held down quite nicely by Payton), Maerz kept the back clean in the first half and allowed Payton to get into the offensive mix. In the second half with the two switched positions back, Maerz was the most aggressive and hard working she has been probably since the Ozark game early in the season. Olivia Soliari had one of her better games of the season as well, playing at the stopper position, and winning 50-50s all night. It’s also clear that Allen’s game has come along quite nicely, as she has really finished her chances well of late. It’s been a tough stretch for Parkview, and they seem to be at a fork in the road. After a strong start, the Vikings have struggled recently for multiple reasons, and are looking to get back on track with a team-focused positive attitude, harder all-around work ethic, and mental toughness.
Scoring summary: Meaghan Allen 1g
The Junior Varsity squad didn’t fare any better on Thursday, losing 0-7 to Kickapoo. Minus three starting defenders: Anna Bingham, Andrea Wynn, and Lauren Fetty, the Vikings had to move people all over the field, taking a lot away from what has recently been a pretty potent offense. Anna Withers, Julie Ryan, and Maddie George all played keeper for the Vikings, with Amanda Leckrone moving from forward to sweeper, and Sydnie Pilkinton moving from mid to outside back for the first half. Mary Langebartel and Molly Robb provided some offensive opportunities for the Vikings, but didn’t have enough help to build much up.
The Junior Varsity will take part in the KHS JV tournament on saturday, with matches at Kickapoo at both 10:00am and 12:00pm. Both squads will face Hillcrest at home on Tuesday, with the Varsity squads kicking off at 4:00pm and the JV squads to follow around 5:30pm.
