Decorah defense holds strong in soccer opener

By Ian Wreisner-

The Decorah girls’ varsity soccer team (1-0) started the season with a win over Clayton Ridge (0-1). Weather threatened to cut the game short, but it held off Tuesday afternoon so that the Lady Vikes could take the home victory, 1-0, over the Eagles.

The Decorah girls’ varsity soccer team (1-0) started the season with a win over Clayton Ridge (0-1). Weather threatened to cut the game short, but it held off Tuesday afternoon so that the Lady Vikes could take the home victory, 1-0, over the Eagles.
It was a stalemate for a majority of the game, with the ball spending equal time heading towards either net. In the first three minutes of the game however, a duo of blocked shots by Ella Grouws weakened the Eagles’ defense just enough for Thea Schissel to put the ball into the goalbox and on to Grace Neal who sent it into the net for the first and only goal of the game. 
The game that followed was a constant push and pull up and down the pitch, each team’s defense unwilling to keep the ball on their side for long. While the ball failed to hit the back of the net a second time, the Vikings only let a handful of shots past, each saved by Grace Bachelder. Some aggressive offensive pressure from Decorah ended the first half, with the rain letting up for the second half of the match.
The clouds never left, however, and neither did the slick conditions. There were plenty of spills that resulted in plenty of free kicks for both sides. The kicks, along with plenty of throw-ins helped the Vikes push up the pitch more in the second half. 
Both Isabella Bishop and Gabrielle Dixon were able to get shots off in the second half, with the latter being fumbled by the Eagle’s goalie, getting incredibly close to the goal line but grabbed again before it could count for the scoreboard. The heat came to the Viking’s side in the last minute of play, but they held strong and kept the attackers out of the goalbox to shut out the Eagles and win the game, 1-0.
The Lady Vikes will take to the pitch next on Thursday, April 7, for a home game against North Fayette Valley at 5:30 p.m.

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