Vikes soccer takes three wins in first week
<p>Austin Gordon beats two defenders with a touch toward midfield against Libby on Saturday afternoon. The Vikes won their third game in a row during their first week of season play.</p>
After two seasons without a game playing win, the Vikes soccer team won three in a row during their season opening week. They took two conference wins against Polson (6-3) and Libby (2-1) and a nonconference game against Loyola(1-0).
“It’s been a great week for Bigfork boys soccer,” head coach Keith Koslosky said. “Right out of the gate, the first week you’re playing three games and you’re thinking ‘wow.’”
Last week the boys scored almost as many goals as they did last season. They put away six against Polson during last Tuesday’s first match-up of the season.
“We’ve done some things this season already, that we’ve never done before,” Koslosky said.
And that’s just in the first game. Koslosky said the Vikes have never come back from a first half loss before, but against Polson they did. The Vikes were down 3-2 at the half and came back to score four goals in the second half. Tyler Zavala put away the first two goals at the fourth and eighth minutes and Austin Gordon scored four goals in eight minutes during the second half.
With 11 returning starters, this year Koslosky has changed his line-up.
“I’m playing a lot of guys in positions they’re not used to and they’re settling in,” Koslosky said. “And I knew it was going to be a struggle, but they accepted it and they’re doing good.”
He took his three returning seniors and put them in the back line. After three games, they’re starting to get the hang of it. Although Polson was able to get three goals against them, in the last two games, the boys allowed just one goal against.
The boys settled in against Loyola’s flat back three that held at the 18 for most of the game. Hammering Loyola’s stiff defense with one shot after another, it was tough to break through, but Koslosky said the Vikes possessed until they found a way into the back of the net.
Matt Killian, Anthony Fopp and Kyle Thompson helped control the ball in the center of the field and distribute it wide and through on the attack.
“Thompson was just outstanding, he just directed the passing,” Koslosky said. “We owned mid-field, they didn’t have any possession on our half in the second half.”
After two wins, the boys played a tough match-up against Libby on Saturday and held solid until the last few minutes of the game, when Libby scored. The Vikes came out strong in the first half with two goals. Thompson put one in off a pass from Gordon during the 12th minute. Thompson was awarded a penalty kick in the 32nd minute, which he sliced into the corner without hesitation.
Koslosky said it was a tough game and was good for developing the mental part of the Vikes game.
“That’s where the game is played — upstairs,” Koslosky said. “I’m big on mental toughness.”
The Vikes take their game on the road this week with nonconference games against Belgrade on Friday and Livingston on Saturday. Their next home game is Sept. 18 versus Columbia Falls at 6 p.m.