The boys soccer team has hit their stride as they hope to finish the regular season strong. With the exception of a rough loss against cross-town rival, the B-CC Barons, the Vikes have been strong. The boys have had solid wins against the Richard Montgomery Rockets and Walter Johnson Wildcats, and a thrashing of the Kennedy Cavaliers on Whitman’s senior night.
Excellent offense led by forward Davey Mason and midfielder Aaron Tanenbaum has been a staple of the Vikings’ success this year, bolstered by a defense led by goalie and captain Ian Atkinson.
Coming off a tough 4-1 loss against Einstein, the Vikes got back to their winning ways. The boys easily defeated Richard Montgomery 1-0, with the singular goal coming early in the first half from forward Daniel Kjartansson. The defense locked down and stalled out the opposing offense for the rest of the night.
After a close 2-1 loss to B-CC, the Vikings had to regain their momentum in a crucial game against Walter Johnson. The Wildcats were the chief competitor with Whitman for the divisional title, and a win would have been important for both teams’ chances at a state title run.
The Vikes went straight to work as Mason scored a pair of unanswered goals in the first half. This was too much for Walter Johnson to overcome, especially with Atkinson having a stellar 11 save performance in the net. A Wildcat goal following Whitman’s offensive explosion was not enough to spark a comeback.
After that win, the Vikings were back on track in time for senior night where the offense put on a show. In the first half midfielders George Xourias, Alberta Casado, and Tomas Valenzuela, all seniors, managed to find the back of the net to put Whitman up 3-1.
In the second half, midfielder Luciano Cahe got involved tacking on a goal. This was followed up with two goals, one from defensemen Chris Whittle and the other from defensemen Evan Goldsholle. Ending in a 6-1 rout, the game gave the Vikes the momentum they need going into the final game of the regular season.
Whitman will be competing against Churchill for the 4A South divisional title. A win would give the Vikings a first round playoff bye and a major advantage going into the post season.
Jesse Markowitz, a junior goalkeeper is confident that the team is poised for a state title.
“As long as we keep play our game, I think we have a really good chance at winning states,” he said.
