The Lady Vikings Varsity squad matched up against the Neosho Wildcats Friday night, getting the 3-1. The Vikings went to 3-2 on the season getting the first goal of the game from sophomore Shelby Stewart. Stewart, playing striker, also found fellow sophomore Jessica Maerz cutting up the field for a nice flick-on lead pass that Maerz finished. Maerz’s goal made the score 2-0 at the end of the first half. In the second half, Neosho got a goal of their own before freshman Kelsey Loderhose, playing striker at the time, was able to finish one of her own (unassisted).

The Junior Varsity squad also put their first mark in the win column, earning a 2-0 win over the Neosho JV. In the first half, freshman midfielder Katie Fortney found Lana Aberle through the defense for a 1-0 lead. A few minutes later Aberle again earned herself a goal, this time unassisted. The Neosho goalie was on her toes throughout the game, making a few key saves on what could (and probably should) have been goals number 3 and 4, including a shot from the mark. This was the Parkview Junior Varsity’s first win of the season, following their tie against Lebanon. Freshman keeper Maddie George earned her first shutout of the season, making fundamentally sound decisions, few key saves, and being vocal and aggressive in the goal for the Vikings.

The Vikings next play at Joplin on Tuesday, with the JV match beginning at 4:30 p.m. and the Varsity to follow.

The Parkview Lady Vikings Varsity squad lost to the Lebanon Yellow-Jackets 3-2 Thursday night, in a hard fought match on a fairly wet but quite playable field. Lebanon was able to control possession in the majority of the first half, but the Vikings defense and goalkeeping were able to keep it a low scoring affair throughout the first half. Down 1-0 at the break, the Vikings came out a new team in the second half, getting a game tying goal from senior striker Emmy Dale on a nice pass from sophomore midfielder Jessica Maerz. After going down 2-1 the Vikings were again able to again get a quick equalizer as Maerz got one of her own (assist by Melanie Allen, sophomore). Late in the match the Jackets were awarded a shot from the mark, and Emilie Boher was able to put it away to give Lebanon the win.

In the Junior Varsity match the Lady Vikings were faced with an equal opponent in Lebanon, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie. The Vikings got their goal midway through the second half with a long shot from freshman striker Molly Robb, who was able to beat the keeper over the top. The Jackets, again, were awarded a penalty kick with two minutes remaining and put it away, knotting the game at one goal a side.

Parkview plays Friday at Neosho, with the Junior Varsity slotted to play first, and the Varsity to follow.

The Varsity Lady Vikings dropped a well fought match against the Rolla Bulldogs Tuesday night, 1-0. A conservative effort by the Vikings back line was able to keep Rolla from getting many goal scoring opportunities, but with about 15 minutes to go sophomore midfielder Jackie Standfast was able to finish after a well placed pass was played to her and past the defense. This goal put the Bulldogs up 1-0, and proved to be the game winner, but sophomores Shelby Stewart and Jessica Maerz were able to put a lot of pressure on the Rolla defense. Late in the game and down a goal, coach Clint Nurnberg got especially aggressive on the offensive end, and Stewart, Maerz, and senior striker Emmy Dale made run after run on the Bulldogs, but the Vikings were unable to get an equalizer.

The PHS Junior Varsity squad faced a tough Bulldog JV group as well, giving up three goals in the first half and losing the game 3-0. The Parkview squad, with part time keeper/part time midfielder Sydnie Pilkinton out for the remainder of the season, battled back in the second half to get themselves some quality offensive opportunities, but were unable to pull the trigger and finish a chance.

The Vikings play next at Lebanon, with the Junior Varsity squads facing off first at 5:00 p.m.

The Lady Vikings have quite a busy week, starting tomorrow when they face Rolla at JFK. The game will begin at 5:00 p.m., with the Junior Varsity squad taking the field first, and the Varsity to follow. Rolla is 3-0 and ranked number one in the most recent Class 2 Southwest regional soccer coaches poll.

After getting Wednesday off, the Vikings are scheduled to play at Lebanon Thursday, also JV first at 5:00 p.m. Lebanon is 3-1. They are ranked third in the latest poll, and recently beat Kickapoo in shootouts.

Friday the squads travel to Neosho to face the Wildcats. This game will be played JV, then Varsity, with JV squads kicking off at 4:00 p.m. According to the Neosho Daily News, Neosho recently took 3rd in their home tournament, losing to Joplin 3-0, credited with a win over their own JV squad rather than playing the match, and beating Central High School 5-0. Neosho is currently 2-3 overall.

Class 2 Southwest regional soccer coaches poll

1-Rolla (44) 3-0
2-Waynesville (35) 3-0
3-Lebanon (28) 3-1
4-Kickapoo (13) 1-3
5-Glendale (11) 0-1
others receiving votes- Joplin (4) and Ozark (2)

Thanks to Steve “Ole” Olsen at www.sgfsoccer.com for providing the latest poll.

The Parkview Lady Vikings Junior Varsity squad lost two wet games on Saturday. The Vikings faced Ozark first at 9:00 a.m. and the Tigers came out awake early to take a 3-0 halftime lead. In the second half of the match the Vikings evened up the ball possession and shots. Ozark was able to get one more goal, but Parkview also scored one of their own, making the final score a 4-1 loss for the ladies. The lone goal of the game started with freshman striker Sara Stutz making a nice pass across the middle of the penalty area. This pass created an opportunity for freshman midfielder Katie Fortney to step up and take a shot that was immediately deflected by the Ozark keeper who was in close proximity, but freshman striker Lana Aberle was there to hammer the loose ball into the back of the net.

The second match for the Vikings’ Junior Varsity was against Willard at 1:00 p.m., and ended in a 1-0 loss for the Vikings. Great hustle from the midfield kept the Vikings up a player at all times on both the offensive and defensive ends of the field. Freshmen midfielder Olivia Solari was able to switch to a higher gear for the majority of the game, playing tough physical defense, and also kick starting the offense with well placed passes. The score was 0-0 at halftime, as Parkview kept possession 60-40 for the first half but was unable to finish. In the second half the Vikings gave up a surprising early goal, although they were dominating possession 70-30 for the majority of the thirty-five minutes. The Vikings’ offense passed well, but the Willard defense was able to bend without breaking, keeping the Vikings from many solid scoring opportunities.

With two minutes remaining in the match, freshmen midfielder (and part-time goalie) Sydnie Pilkinton, who had been stealing passes and creating offense multiple times in the second half, collided with the Willard goalkeeper, resulting in a game stoppage and Pilkinton being forced to leave the field for the remainder of the game due to the injury. The Vikings got one more legitimate scoring opportunity with a shot from the mark after a handball call with under a minute left in the half, but a shot head-height shot was saved by the Willard keeper.

Both the Varsity and Junior Varsity squads will face Rolla on Tuesday at 5:00p.m. The game will be played at home on the JFK field (JV first, Varsity to follow).

Doing their best to battle both Central and the oncoming storm, the Parkview Varsity squad beat Central High School 4-1. Senior striker Emmy Dale got a hat-trick in the match, and sophomore Jessica Maerz also finished one. The first goal of the match found freshman Kelsey Loderhose holding the ball deep inside the penalty area with a defender blanketing her. Loderhose was able to drop ball back to Dale for the well placed finish, making the score 1-0. The second Parkview goal came from sophomore midfielder Jessica Maerz, who finished a nicely placed shot into the back of the net. Later in the match, Loderhose again found Dale on the run for her second finish to make the score 3-0. Dale would score again to complete the hat-trick (assist by Stephanie Laney, senior). Senior defender Rebecca Carter scored for Central on a set piece from approximately 35 yards from the goal. The match was delayed with 10 minutes left in regulation due to lighting, but both teams took the field and were able to finish all 80 minutes of play. Parkview’s Varsity squad is now 2-0 on the young season.

The scheduled Junior Varsity match did not happen, as the head coaches from both sides agreed that the oncoming storm would not allow the game to be played. The JV game is supposed to be rescheduled, but no date has been set yet.

Parkview’s Junior Varsity next plays Saturday March 29, at 9:00 a.m. as a part of the Ozark JV tournament, with another game to follow later in the day (the time of the second game will correlate with the outcome of the first game).

Both squads will also face Rolla on Tuesday at 5:00p.m. at home on the JFK field (JV first, Varsity to follow).

The PHS varsity faced off against a tough Nixa squad on Tuesday, opening up the season with a 2-0 win. Time of possession was equal in this match-up between the two district opponents, but the Lady Vikings were able to capitalize on their opportunities, thanks in a large part to strong finishing by freshman striker Kelsey Loderhose. The first goal saw senior Kristine Malter send a ball past the defense to Loderhose for a quick finish and a 1-0 lead. In the second half Loderhose dribbled the ball up the left side of the field, beat a defender one on one, and finished again into the side netting. Sophomore goalkeeper Caylin Manary got the shutout.

In the match-up of JV squads, Nixa prevailed 1-0. The Nixa goal was scored in the first half by a forward who snuck the ball past freshman goalkeeper Sydnie Pilkinton. The match was quite even, as both teams were able to move the ball up and down the field, but neither team was able to finish any more chances. The Vikings showed the ability to attack from corner kicks, as freshman Katie Fortney put a ball just wide of the net fresh off a short corner. Freshman Molly Robb also showed off her speed as she attacked on a breakaway after taking the ball from a Nixa defender, but she too put the ball wide-right.