Seattle Lutheran soccer just edged the Vikings soccer team 2-1 in a battle on Saturday in Snohomish that showed how well matched in speed, ability, and persistence the two teams were.

“It was a really hard fought game,” Vikings coach Chama Anderson said. “It was a big learning session for us. The players totally put their hearts into it.”

Stephanie Shaw, midfielder with Emily Diepenbrock for the Vikings, showed excellent ball control and aggressiveness throughout, sometimes single-handedly moving the ball out of the midfield and into position for the Viking forwards, Grace Thompson and Alison O’Toole, to try and make the score.

Seattle Lutheran, however, was in no mood to give up goals and their defenders sent the ball sailing out of scoring position throughout the first part of the game. With four minutes left to go in the first half and no score on the board, Seattle Lutheran got the ball deep into Viking territory and off a cross from a teammate that didn’t go in, they kept up the pressure and on a third rally, Seattle Lutheran Saint Ashley Shaw shot it past Viking goalkeeper Lana Bronn and drew first blood.

“It was a fantastic game. I don’t think the girls were disappointed with their playing at all,” Bridget O’Toole, assistant coach for the Vikings, said, “but I do think they wanted to put more points on the board.”

Made of strong stuff, the Vikings were undeterred. The two teams went back at it again and in the first two minutes of the second half the Vikings poured it on. Alison O’Toole got a quick shot into the goal on the left hand side and it went in just under the crossbar, tying the game 1-1.

The Vikings continued to pressure the Seattle Lutheran Saints in their territory, but then the Lutherans’ strategy switched. The stymied Vikings were hard-pressed to get the ball into scoring position and then Saint Ashley Shaw again took it and ran, nailing a goal, making it 2-1 about two-thirds through the game. Shaw, Thompson, Hannah North, Ashley Klein and Diepenbrock poured the speed on, trying to get the ball into position for a goal but they were denied time and time again. It wasn’t for a lack of trying that stopped the Vikings.

“We need to practice on turf,” Viking midfielder Stephanie Shaw said. “We did pretty well for the first time playing on turf, but the ball moves much faster and you have to judge your passes and timing better. We’re used to bumpy grass. It’s a different game altogether.”

The Vikings advance to state playoffs this coming Friday or Saturday against Liberty Bell, a team out of eastern Washington. Playing location and time to be announced.