Say what you will about this years’ Viking squad, but one thing they clearly learned this season was a little something about mental toughness. The Vikings struggled to connect passes in the first half, and after a few costly miscues found themselves down 0-2 to Nixa at the break. This time though, Parkview came back strong. Just a couple minutes into the second half, Kelsey Loderhose was high pressuring a defender and picked her pocket, only to be dragged down on a semi-breakaway. As the play developed, players, coaches, and parents began yelling about the no-call, but the referee and Jessica Maerz were both still on their game. The referee waited about 6-8 full seconds to let advantage develop, as he saw a sprinting Maerz take full advantage of th given opportunity. Maerz ran through the play, taking the loose ball directly at the keeper before beating her with a low far-post shot to bring the Vikings within one at 1-2.
Parkview let a few costly errors at key positions hurt them against Nixa on Saturday, and Nixa capitalized well on those opportunities. The Vikings especially had strong games from sophomore stopper Anna Withers, sophomore center-mid Olivia Solari, and junior center-mid Jessica Maerz.
Parkview ends it’s season at 14-10, a great improvement over the last few years, and the best overall record in PHS girls soccer recent history.
Scoring Summary: Jessica Maerz 1g
