Girls soccer ended their 2009 season with a heart-breaking 3-2 loss to Churchill in the regional semi-finals.

On a chilly night, the girls were determined to avenge their previous 3-0 defeat to the Bulldogs earlier in the season.

The Vikes came out flying with midfielder Kat Barth leading the attack by constantly putting pressure on Churchill’s defense. Barth looked for her two forwards Lucy Arledge and Kim Anderson up top, but could not connect a through ball to them.

Then in a quick change of events, forward Pam Vranis and the Bulldog squad countered the Lady Vikes, but goalie Hannah Sasscer thwarted off all possible chances of a Churchill goal.

With only four minutes remaining in the half, the Bulldogs pressured the Vikes and caused a failed clearance of the ball, thus letting the Churchill attack to pounce and finish off a close range shot.

After halftime, the Lady Vikes were confidant on the ball and attacked with numbers. However, Churchill dropped more players back in order to preserve their 1-0 lead.

After a giveaway in the midfield, Vranis countered the Vikes quickly and slotted a through ball to a streaking forward. She tucked the ball away in the right corner beneath an outstretched Sasscer for a seemingly commanding 2-0 lead.

The Vikes didn’t give in, and continued to control the tempo of the game. Their hard work paid off when Barth crossed the ball into the box and Anderson knocked it in with a far post run.

With the momentum shifting, the Vikes pushed numbers forward in hopes of equalizing late in the game. Two minutes after their first goal, defender Rebecca Mashek found Anderson again in the box to tie the game at two with just moments remaining in regulation.

In the ensuing kickoff, Churchill pushed all players forward and almost scored another goal but Sasscer made a beautiful breakaway save.

But, with 20 seconds remaining, the Bulldogs crossed the ball into a scrum of many players and connected for the final goal of the game.

Although the Vikes lost, they held their heads high and acknowledged their fight to tie the game.

This ends a remarkable season for the girls. The season began with numerous injuries and uncertainties about players stepping up, but the girls connected and won many impressive games this season. The returning players look forward to next season and have high expectations for their team.