Vikings defensive prowess remains solid

Published 7:00 am Wednesday, September 13, 2006

POULSBO — After a first half that was stuck scoreless in a back-and-forth battle of missed shots and stolen balls, NK junior Stephanie Skelly worked the interior Klahowya defense with a shifty change of direction and a swift boot to break loose for the first goal of the game with less than four minutes until halftime.

But the shimmy was all for naught, as the sideline referee at the NKHS stadium flagged the Vikings for offsides. Though the call erased NK’s first goal, it could not take away the team’s resiliency.

Scoring twice in the second half of play against the Eagles, North picked up its first win of the year in the Sept. 7 non-league match. Two days prior, Bainbridge handed North its first loss of the season with a 2-0 non-league victory.

Against Klhowya, North’s defense performed well, keeping the Eagles to single-digit shot attempts while the Viking offense spent a majority of its time trying to find the net. Amidst a plethora of 18-yard shots, Lander tipped in the Vikings’ first goal off a penalty kick, assist booted by Skelly in the 64th minute.

Throughout the game, Klahowya struggled to put together an offensive transition, while NK’s offensive rarely came to fruition. But in the waning minutes of the second half, the Vikings capitalized again as Lander dished to Skelly, who had the goalie at her disposal and placed the final goal of the game into the upper V.

“Now it goes into the season,” said NK head coach Pat Stickney.

North traveled to Tacoma’s Mount Tahoma Stadium to face the Lincoln Abes in both teams’ Narrows League opener Tuesday. Results were unavailable at press time.

At Bainbridge Sept. 5 and hosting Klahowya Sept. 7, the Vikings forged ahead, building the foundation for their season with the blocks of experience.

With a nucleus of returning players — including senior co-captains Brenna Lander and Candyce Eaton — the Vikings also have an influx of spark plug youth this year. The challenge is fusing the two, Stickney said.

“Well, you know, it is what it is … moving people around trying to get (them) to relax and play together,” Stickney said of NK’s preseason contests. “This year, we have two starting freshmen, and that’s a bit of a stretch for these kids because that’s like playing up three or four years. On top of that, we also have two starting sophomores.”

Sophomores Meghan Antoni and Sidney Byers and freshman Siara Byers and Madison Taylor are anticipated play makers, who join an already talented team, featuring the junior midfield standout Skelly, the offensive invigorator Lander and rock solid defensive marking back junior Aisha Shurick.

“Now, it’s just a case of getting to know how each other plays — team chemistry,” captain Eaton said, noting that while minor hustle and skill improvements can be made, the team’s preseason pieces are in place.

Against Klahowya, North rebounded from its 2-0 loss to Bainbridge by solidifying its defense into a more comfortable format. After beginning the season with a straight flat back defensive set, the Vikings moved to a sweeper/marker structure that produced a shutout.

Stickney praised the team’s defensive efforts, putting an emphasis on Shurick’s tenacity and quickness to the ball.

“As far as marking backs go, I think she is solid,” Stickney said of the junior. “And on the other side, I thought Tasha Rogers went out and did a good job as well.”

Eaton agreed, adding that North’s D was a tough wall to hammer through.

“We have a lot of speed and a lot of good marking players,” she said. “With this new league, we’ll probably have no problem … I have a lot of confidence in my team and in our defense.”