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Augustana Observer

Vikings Cruise Past Northwestern

After starting the season 0-3, the Vikings have responded in a big way by winning their last 5 games including a win over Northwestern (MN) where they got the victory 12-3.
It is easy for a team to get down on themselves after having a slow start to the season, but the Vikings have put the start of the season behind them winning their last 5 games and when talking to Senior, John Danko, he was only focused on the preparation for the game in front of them.
“Going into the Northwestern game our coaching staff placed a big emphasis on coming together as a team and running our schemes correctly. The offense and defense have really focused on playing as two cohesive units which allowed us to dominate on both sides of the field,” Danko said.
When talking to Danko about what plays a key role in the success of their team, Danko gives a lot of credit to the team chemistry.
“We have great leadership from our captains and everyone has really bought into the program and what we are trying to accomplish. On and off the field we consider ourselves a family and I think that has had a tremendous impact on our level of play,” Danko exclaims.
One of the big reasons the Vikings have been able to turn it around is due to the play of Junior, Matthew Balara, who recently was awarded player of the week in the CCIW Conference.
“When you’re losing it’s easy to point the finger and find blame for everything. My work ethic has been wanting to be more of a leader on the field and in the locker room as a junior now. I always want to be a good role model to the younger guys on the team, and to show them how to be successful at the college level,” Balara said.
When talking to Balara about what the Vikings need to do to keep the momentum going, Balara kept it short and sweet.
“It sounds simple but we just have to stay focused. We know what we are capable of when we are all on our game and it was on display during the Northwestern game,” Balara said.
The Vikings look to keep their five-game winning streak going as they have a home matchup next weekend against Kalamazoo.

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Vikings Cruise Past Northwestern