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Viking kickers start season 2-0

 

GRAYLING – Two players accounted for all of the goals in the Grayling boys’ soccer team’s convincing 7-0 rout of the North Bay at home on Wednesday night.

North Bay is a cooperative which combines athletes from the host school Suttons Bay as well as Northport.

“We wanted to get out and get a lead early,” first-year Vikings’ coach Andy Moore said. “Which we did. We were up 3-0 five minutes into the game, and then settled in. We still have things to work on.”

Senior attacker Eliot Boik enjoyed a spectacular night, weaving his way through the North Bay defense to score four goals himself. He added an assist. Another senior, Jacob Schade, contributed three.

Anthony Harrington, Tucker Mertes and Andrew Walsh … all seniors … each contributed one assist.

The Vikings defeated Benzie Central, 6-1 on Monday in another non-conference game to improve their record to 2-0.

While it’s early in the season, and Moore didn’t have the normal summer to become familiar with his players because of COVID-19 restrictions, he said he is pleased with the team’s communication on the pitch.

“We seem to be a good, working unit,” added Moore. “Right now (we) need to get healthy. We’re playing right now with 11. That’s all we have at this point. We have three banged up.

“I should be getting them back here real quick. This week we play with 11, so no subs, and it’s been hot. We’ve done really well, but the heat got to us tonight.

“The sun came out and it was a little brutal after that rain we had all day today. We were up 6-0 at half, and the kids kind of wanted to end it real real quick. I thought, ‘No, let’s not do that. Let’s get some conditioning.’ Even with 14, you don’t get that many subs.”

So the Vikings played some ball control in the second half, before amping up the pressure again trying to get that eighth goal which would have ended the game on the mercy rule.

Right now the main focus for Moore is to get everyone continued to handle 80-minute games.

Usually, the Vikings have three foreign exchange students. But, with what is happening in the world with the coronavirus that’s not happening this year. So Moore is leaning on the seniors.

“I have six seniors (Alec Gardiner is the other) right now that have played together since youth soccer,” Moore said. “They’ve really been good in the beginning of communicating with to the young guys.

“There’s one junior (Cameron Ketchum), and the rest are underclassmen. The seniors have really been good with the communication on how we want to do things. I’m learning from them, too. This is my first year coaching, and it’s nice to have a veteran group to help me through that.”

Friday the Vikings host Ogemaw Heights.

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