Avery concluded its three-game soccer week with a 3-0 victory over Mountain Heritage at home on Wednesday night and played Polk County to a 0-0 tie in a game called in overtime due to lightning.
In Wednesday's match Avery scored first only four minutes into the match as Melinda Eggers assisted on a goal scored by Katie Peters. The Lady Vikings struck again in the 31st minute off a corner kick by Mary Chesnut Smith. Kaley Faulkner controlled the loose ball in front of goal and fired a shot past the Heritage keeper for a 2-0 advantage, which held until intermission.
The contest was a physical match as there was a fair amount of pushing, holding, and tugging. Peters scored her second goal in the game in the final two minutes of the second half, this one off a through pass by Emily Banner to provide the final margin.
The win improved Avery to 9-2-1, the second best start to a season in program history. "We knew tonight would be as rough and challenging a game as Monday was. Madison had tied Heritage, so we knew this wasn't going to be an easy game. Plus three of our starters missed Tuesday's practice with sickness, but still came out to play today," Coach Tom Evaul said after the match. "We're really proud of the team tonight, especially our five defenders. They have a pretty good offensive attack, but our defense did a good job of collapsing and controlling the ability of their offense to advance."
On Friday evening the #8 ranked Vikings played host to the #4 ranked Polk Lady Wolverines to a scoreless tie on a cloudy and rainy pitch at MacDonald Stadium. The match was a rough and tumble affair with few whistles coming from the officials in relation to the physicality of the game. Neither team cracked the scoreboard in the first 40 minutes of play. Avery came out more aggressively on the attack in the second half of play as the team continued to gain confidence against a club who they have yet to defeat in 1A play.
Weather played a role through the course of the match as the rain fell at the match's outset, then tapered off as the match ensued. Following regulation and half of the overtime session, lightning was sighted in the distance, prompting officials to call a halt to the contest with the score tied.
Avery is 9-2-2 on the season (4-1-1 in conference play) and plays three home games this week against Madison (Monday), Owen (Wednesday), and Erwin (Thursday @ the changed time of 5 p.m.).
