The Augustana Women’s soccer team is fighting for a spot in the conference tournament. With a record of 3-2 in the conference they are currently third, one game up on North Central.
The Vikings had a chance to help their cause on Oct. 19 when the Millikin big blue came to Augustana. The Vikings did just that with a 1-0 victory.
Augustana used a goal by junior Grace Sigler to propel them to victory. The Vikings only goal came in the 16th minute of the match. This is Sigler’s sixth goal of the season which ranks fifth in the CCIW.
Sigler hammered home a corner kick from fellow junior Sandra Camarillo, and the Vikings never looked back. Junior Goalkeeper Sydney Ion turned in her fifth complete game shutout on the year stopping all three shots that Millikin put on goal.
A little outside the box competition has fueled the junior goaltender to a .559 goals against average on the season.
“Honestly a little healthy competition between the men’s goalie and me for who’s the better goalie really pushes me every game to be the best I can. In addition my back line has been really stepping up against teams which helps me only have to make big plays every so often,” Ion said.
The first half was all Augustana as the Vikings kept the pressure on the opposing goalie having two more shots on goal by the time the whistle sounded for halftime.
The second half was more of the same for the Vikings as the defense stood strong only allowing Millikin to add two shots on goal for the half.
According to senior Hannah Rossi faith in your goaltender behind you is an essential part of success for any team defensively.
“I think that it comes down to trust. When there is a shot on goal often times it is because I don’t do my job correctly, but having Sydney (Ion) back there allows me to breathe because I know she will give it her all and make a big diving stop if something gets passed me,” Rossi said.
The Vikings ended up outshooting Millikin by three shots and had four more shots on goal. The strong Augustana defensive effort was led by two seniors, Anna Fank and Rossi, and has been strong all season as the Vikings currently rank second in the CCIW in goals against on the season.
Communication was key for the Vikings defensive success on Saturday night.
“We are successful when we are able to communicate effectively not only with us in the back, but also with the players in front of us. This makes our jobs easier because we can see the whole field and be more proactive rather than reactive,” Rossi said.
The Vikings have two more CCIW games remaining before post season play begins. Augustana will take on Elmhurst and Carthage and if they end up in the top four of the conference they will have the opportunity to play for a conference title and an NCAA tournament bid.
“We have the ability to control our own outcome moving forward. We can’t rely on other teams to lose. We just have to take care of ourselves and take it one game at a time,” Rossi said.