By Staff
In what head coach Jerry Holtgren called a great all-around game, Niles' soccer team got ahead early in Tuesday's SMAC cross-over match against Coldwater and never looked back.
The Vikings scored three goals in the first half while shutting out Coldwater. They built a 4-0 lead early in the second half before the Cardinals got on the board. Niles eventually won the match 6-1.
Holtgren said it was important to win this game, not only for conference tournament seeding, but because it was senior night. It was the last regular-season home game for Niles seniors Brian Coulston, Travis Wirick, Mauricio Terra, Gilles Nsengiyumva, Aaron Ralston, Zack Nimtz, Nick Sharkey and Corey Coquillard.
On senior night, it was two sophomores that got the scoring started for the Vikings.
Nearing the 27-minute mark of the first half, the Vikings' Michael Tanke raced to grab a ball that a Coldwater player thought was going out of bounds across the end line.
Tanke saved it, then found Cody Riggenbach cutting to the net. Riggenbach got the ball at the top of the box and hammered it past the goalie for a 1-0 lead.
Tanke added a goal of his own 20 minutes later to increase Niles' lead to 2-0. In all, six different Vikings scored goals. Coulston, Nsengiyumva, Colin Smith and Mat Peters also scored for Niles.
Brett Borzei, Joe Dunnett and Travis Wirick had assists for the Vikings.
Niles out-shot Coldwater 18-7 in running its record to 6-4-2 on the season.