A big question for the boys soccer team this season has been whether they can knock out Boylan (7-2), one of their top opponents. On Wednesday, September 27^th, at Swanson Stadium, they did just that, beating the Titans 5-4 for the first time since 2004.

The Vikings knew in advance that this game was going to be one of the most important games of the season. However, Coach Luke Anderson, first year head coach of the boys’ soccer team, wanted to treat the Boylan game like any other game. The plan was to just play Viking soccer.

“Our team has been preparing for Boylan the same way we do for all our matches, but there has been increased focus and intensity,” said Anderson. “As long as we keep our composure and play our style of soccer, the outcome will take care of itself.”

And the plan worked. Even though the first half of the match was scoreless, the energy started to rise in the second half after both teams responded with goals. Carson Masters, midfield, scored with just under ten minutes left.

“Coach at halftime said we need to come out and get one early,” said Masters. “It was a rush of emotions when I scored the first goal. After being constantly beat by them in past years, it gave us the confidence to keep the game at our pace.”

After taking a 1-0 lead on Masters’ goal, Boylan captain Joaquin Villegas answered for the Titans just under four minutes by finding the net on a wide open shot. Villegas’s goal would tie the game 1-1.

The match went into double overtime and ended in penalty kicks. Guilford broke the Titans 4-3 in penalty kicks, winning by a point.

Boylan has won the NIC-10 conference title for the past six years but, the dream of beating them is now a reality. After a year of preparing for this game, the Vikings move ahead in their season undefeated and first in the conference.

“We worked extremely hard,” said Nikola Miovski, captain. “All the fitness, drills, and everything else really was worth it. Our hard work pays off. We feel great, but now it’s time to keep focusing. This game meant the world. We waited a whole year to get back at them, but the wait was worth it. Our confidence is at the highest now going into a critical point in our season.”