Thursday afternoon, the girls soccer team closed out the regular season and snatched their second consecutive win from a 9–0 victory over Northwood, looking to restart the two-year winning streak that ended earlier this month.

The Vikings overpowered the Gladiators from the get-go: midfielder Emily Tompkins rocketed a shot into the goal 23 seconds after kickoff.

The goal was followed by six more during the first half, including another from Tompkins, two from forward Mary Dimitrov, and one each from forward Caroline Macdonald and midfielders Ellie Harris and Kristen Bissell.

The Vikes’ offense dominated the first half of the game—Northwood rarely maintained ball possession.

“They definitely put in their best effort, but I think that we won most of the 50-50 balls, which definitely helped us,” defender Julia Shaver said. “We were able to move the ball really quickly and pass around them to get the open shots that went in.”

During the second half, the Vikes began to ease up on offense, deciding to concentrate more on passing and technique rather than continuing to add to the score.

Because of the more relaxed playing style, the girls were given greater flexibility in their positions. Defender Morgan Wiese was given the chance to play forward, scoring a goal with 15 minutes left in the game that was followed six minutes later by a goal from Shaver.

The Vikes (11–1), who have locked the #1 seed in the playoffs, will begin their postseason this coming week.