By Charlie Mark
As the clock winds down, the Schreiber Vikings boy’s soccer fans are on their feet. The game is tied 1-1 and the stakes are high. A win for the Vikings will earn them an appearance at the county semifinals.
The ball is passed back and forth and then, in a moment of pure teamwork and athleticism, the Vikings score, sealing their victory.
This is the story of the quarterfinal playoff game for the Vikings. They beat the Plainview Hawks 2-1, with goals from Jose Sagustume and Jason Vinceguera. The Vikings made the victory look easy, similar to their victories during the regular season. They started off their season with a promising 2-0 record, defeating Great Neck North and Plainview, respectively. However, it was their third game which served as a turning point for the season. The Vikings lost that third game to Hicksville 2-3. Rather than being discouraged, this loss motivated the Vikings to dig deep and persevere.
“Our turning point was definitely that period starting from the Hicksville loss,” senior captain Jack Fridman said. “Against Hicksville, we hit a low and had trouble getting out of that little slump. But we regrouped for the rest of our season and came out on another level.”
Following the Hicksville loss, the Vikings went undefeated in their conference. Their regular season record was 8-1-1, and they secured the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. After their victory against Plainview, the Vikings faced Uniondale in the semifinals, which proved to be an extremely difficult match. After two overtimes and penalty kicks, Uniondale won 4-2 and will now face Massapequa in the championship.
Despite the unfortunate semi-final loss, the Vikings could not be more proud of all that they accomplished this season.
“We played through everything and I am extremely proud of us,” junior captain Andrew Sichiani said. “The dedication and work we put in made us the team we are. Next year we are going for the title without a doubt.”
Through their hard work and never-give-up attitude, the Vikings achieved resounding success. If this season serves as a glimpse into the team’s future, the Vikings’ prospects look extremely bright.
Charlie Mark is a junior at Schreiber High School. He is a staff writer for the Schreiber Times and hosts The Sports Zoo at WDOT Port Washington Radio. For more Vikings updates, check out the Instagram Page @portvikings.
