By By STEVE MORRISON / Niles Daily Star
NILES – The weather was cooperative, but the visiting Sturgis Trojans girls' soccer team wasn't for most of the balmy spring-like evening at Niles High School Friday eve, as the Trojans ran away on their horses with a 3-1 victory against the Niles Vikings.
Niles had the ball more on the opponents' side of the field, but every Sturgis goal seemed like a flash of lightning when they struck for a score.
Niles had come off of a really good win Monday against the St. Joseph Bears and they appeared ready to make some more progress.
Forward Dakota Price started right off with a shot on goal for Niles, but Sturgis keeper Amberly McMillin was ready to make the save.
All 80 minutes of the hard-fought contest, Niles seemed ready to strike. Mid-fielder Sarah Tyler was continuously on the surge, accompanied by forward Meagan Horn's and Brittany Molnar's passing.
Trojan defenders Laura Franks and Mary Whitworth were thorns in the side to Niles' repetitively shortened offensive efforts, blocking and clearing shots that kept McMillin out of jeopardy.
Showing why she wears No. 1 on her uniform, Sturgis senior forward Megan Allen was the top nemesis to Niles' defenders as she scored two goals and assisted on the third.
Allen scored on a sudden shocker, Sturgis' first shot on goal, after eight minutes had gone to the wayside.
Following a mid-field interception on a sudden burst, Allen centered a pass that Analyse Seely rammed in from less than 10- feet in front Niles keeper Autumn Lucero, who had no chance to make the save.
The first half ended with Sturgis in the lead 2-0.
Tyler started the second half with a shot on the mark, but McMillin picked it off like an easy interception from a safety on a football team. Allen hit the side of the net for Sturgis and Lucero continued to fare well in the goal for the Lady Vikings.
With particular defensive help from Horn, Kaitlyn Touhey, Alexis McIntee and Bryanna Cramer, the Vikings kept the score close in the half.
At 46:25, Sturgis' Allen caught a loose ball off of a deflection from teammate MacKenzie Adams and rammed it home from the right side of goal to put the Trojans ahead 3-0.
Niles kept pounding the ball forward.
Finally the Vikes' mid-fielder Alyssa Pingel stole a ball just into Sturgis' end of the field.
Pingel raced toward the Sturgis goal, trailed by everyone but McMillin. After deflecting Pingel's first shot, McMillin watched her shutout disappear as Pingel scored on her own rebound with just under 16 minutes remaining in the game.
After that point things turned into a defensive standoff and the final read 3-1 Sturgis, after 80 minutes of intense action.
Jo Schau, Niles varsity coach was reflective of the results.
"It wasn't our style of soccer. We played long-ball a lot more than we'd like to play," she commented. "Three games a week; that's our last week of this kind of competition until districts. So we get to rest our legs a little bit. We'll come back next week fresh," Schau anticipated.
Sturgis…3
Niles…1
Halftime Score
Sturgis 2, Niles 0
First Half
S – Megan Allen 8:00 (MacKenzie Adams assist)
S- Analyse Seely 26:23 (Allen assist)
Second Half
S – Allen 46:25 (Adams assist)
N – Alyssa Pingel 64:04
Shots on Goal
Niles 9, Sturgis 14
Saves
Niles 11 (Autumn Lucero 7, Beth Miller 4)
Sturgis – 7 (Amberly McMillin)