The Vikings improved to 10-4 overall and 3-4 in the Tri-County Conference with an easy 6-0 home victory over Southwestern Randolph.
“I never thought I’d see this,” she said. “When I was a freshman we had like three coaches. It’s been a great year and a lot of fun.”
Sophomore Ashley Wahl scored four goals, hiking her season total to 37 and also added her 18th assist. The other two goals were scored by Natalie Abel and Tamika Peterson.
Wahl opened the scoring in the 13th minute, beating Cougar keeper Luther Hayle one-on-one after a 40-yard run with the ball. The visitors fought the Vikings off until the 38-minute mark when Abel left-footed one into the net following a pass from Wahl. In the last minute of the half, Wahl worked her way along the right end line and connected from a tough angle to make it 3-0 at the intermission.
Midway through the second half, Peterson ran on to a pass from Jamie Snell and blasted the ball high into the net for her 10th goal of the season. Wahl scored the last two goals, one on a pass from Casey Oakley and the other on a ball that deflected off a Cougar defender.
After winning no games in 2000 and six in coach Chris Hadlock’s first season a year ago, the Viking’s registered their eighth shutout Monday in spite of missing two starting defenders. Sophomore goalkeeper Melissa Puszynski took care of the only serious threat in the entire match when she came off her line in the 72nd minute to grab the ball amongst a trio of Cougars.
“She’s a great help back there,” said Gray, who plans to begin studying biological engineering at N.C. State next fall. “She always knows what she’s doing, and it’s like we communicate every time something comes up.”
Hadlock says that the growth of the team defensively has helped the team be more offensive this year.
“Last year, all we did was concentrate on playing defense,” he said. “I’m a defensive-minded guy in that if they can’t score, they can’t win. This year we are able to get into the attack and be stronger.”
Tuesday at Southeast Guilford, the Vikings began a series of league games with an outside chance of making the state playoffs. Thursday at 7 p.m., they entertain Ragsdale.
“I just hope we make it to the playoffs,’ Gray said. “We are working so hard and we want it so bad.”
Goals – (U) Wahl 4, Abel, Peterson; Assists – Wahl, Oakley, Snell; Saves – (S) Hayle 8 (U) M. Puszynski 3; Shutout – (U) 8.
