By Charlie Bergmann: Staff Writer

Before Monday night, you could cover the top three girls’ soccer teams in the Cape Fear Valley Conference with a blanket.

Union Pines did its part to uncomplicate things by defeating Harnett Central 2-1 at home. The win broke a second-place tie between the two teams and kept the Vikings within a half-game of first place Gray’s Creek.

The game-winning goal came in the 30th minute when Jennifer Waldrep headed home a cross from Heather Halstead.

“We were tied for second place so it was a big game,” said Brittany Thurlow, a major factor in the victory as a defender for the Vikings. “You could feel that they wanted it too.”

The Trojans took a 1-0 lead in the 18th minute when freshman Kristen Baker broke free down the right side and beat Viking goalkeeper Jessie Puszynski from close range. They threatened to add to the lead, twice missing shots from inside the penalty box before the Vikings scored the equalizer in the 27th minute.

The goal was set up by a ball played to Halstead from near midfield by Thurlow. She collected it about 30 yards in front of the goal, cut to her right, and beat Trojan goalkeeper Lee Ann Bradley from about the same spot that Baker scored at the other end.

The sequence that led to what turned out to be the game winner began with a ball played to Halstead down the left side. The Viking striker cut right and unloaded a low cross that Waldrep finished in a crowd near the far post.

“That was an awesome goal,” Viking coach Chris Hadlock said. “We played the ball down wide like we’re supposed to. Heather, with tireless energy, tracks a ball down that most people don’t — makes a turn, plays a ball in and we win it.”

Harnett Central kept the ball in the Union Pines third almost constantly for the first 10 minutes of the second half. The Vikings fought off the challenge and later created some opportunities of their own.

In the 54th minute, Halstead crossed a ball from the right that Ana Maria Quiros one-touched wide of the goal. A few minutes later, Carly Shiflett received a ball just past midfield with her back to the goal and sent it wide to Waldrep. Waldrep carried the ball almost to the right corner before crossing it, but no one was at the far post to finish it.

With about six minutes left in the match, Halstead received a ball on the Viking half of the field and carried it for 60 yards before the Trojan goalkeeper scooped it up inside the penalty area.

The most dangerous opportunity for the Trojans came in the 71st minute when Puszynski had to reach up to grab a 50-yard free kick off the foot of Kayla Singer.

Sweeper Sara Savage got some help handling the middle of the field from an unexpected source, Thurlow, who is usually an attacking player. Later in the match, Thurlow made one of the hardest tackles of the night, getting all-ball in a confrontation near the left edge of the penalty area.

“I wasn’t used to playing that position,” Thurlow said, “but I thought we did pretty well. The other defenders helped me out.”

Hadlock made the change because the regular at the position, Courtney Sauer, was at less than 100 percent because of a bump she received on her knee. Sauer made her contribution to the win by operating at an outside midfield position.

“Brittany was absolutely the player of the match,” Hadlock said. “She not only played the middle, but she covered both sides. It’s the best I’ve seen her play in more of a defensive role.”

The win puts Union Pines alone in second place with a 9-1-1 record (13-1-1 overall). The loss drops Harnett Central to 8-2-1 (11-5-1 overall). The two teams played to a 4-4 tie in their first meeting.

Gray’s Creek, 3-2 winner over the Vikings last week, is on top with a record of 10-1 (14-2 overall). The Vikings won the first meeting 2-1. Gray’s Creek travels to Harnett Central on the last day of the regular season.