DANVILLE, KY – The Viking's (4-8, 0-3 SAA) fell the Centre College Colonels on their senior day, the final score 7-10. Lillie Swanson, Dani Taraska, and Katie Claire Smith each scored two goals.
Katie Claire Smith struck first to get the game started for the Vikings, taking control of the draw and taking it in herself for the first goal of the contest. The Vikings didn't take advantage of the momentum from the fast start as the Colonels took advantage, scoring three unanswered to jump out to a two-point cushion.
Lillie Swanson put together an answer to cool off the Colonels with four minutes left in the first. Neither team could create any offense before the period came to a close, and Centre remained ahead, the score 2-3.
The cold spell continued into the second period. To the dismay of the Vikings, the Colonels warmed up first, scoring the first goal of the quarter with seven minutes on the game clock. But patience is a virtue on the Viking sideline, and this emphasis proved true as Dani Taraska broke out to bring Berry back within a point.
While the Vikings were playing with patience and emphasizing ball movement, the Colonels made up for lost time from the beginning of the quarter, running up their cushion to three points before entering the half, the score 3-6.
Leaving the half, the Vikings were hoping to find life, but the first possession got away from them as Centre controlled the draw and scored the first goal of the half to extend their advantage to four.
After building the lead out to five with ten minutes left on the clock into the third, the Colonels decided to play conservatively, holding their horses to maintain their advantage. Despite pledging to slow things down, the Colonels were still coasting and extended their lead to a more comfortable cushion of six.
Morgan Barton finally created a goal for the Vikings with six minutes left in the quarter, but Centre got it back before the period ended, the score 4-10.
The Vikings had fifteen minutes to make things interesting entering the fourth. They controlled the ball to begin the fourth, but their first goal came with ten minutes left in the game as Lillie Swanson started the comeback by getting out in transition.
Goals by Katie Claire Smith and Dani Taraska gave the Vikings some light as the period entered crunch time, the Vikings only down by three. But the Colonels buckled down on defense and ate the clock for the rest of the matchup, winning the game 7-10.
The Vikings will head to Atlanta to attempt to earn a conference victory against the Oglethorpe University Stormy Petrels next Saturday, April 18. The game starts at noon.
