Vikings break through against Polytech with three second-half goals

The first half of the season has come with some frustrations for an ambitious Cape girls’ soccer team, but the squad may be turning a corner after a 3-0 win over Polytech April 23.

Following a scoreless first half that saw both teams threaten, the Vikings turned to their leadership, and a family connection, to pull out the victory.

Ten minutes into the final 40 minutes, junior Isla Touw played senior Ava Brown into the box. Brown got crafty at the edge and managed to free herself for a rocket that sailed into the top of the near corner.

“We haven't won a game in a while, and I just felt like we needed the win,” Brown said. “I needed us to do something.”

Just three minutes later, Isla found Lily Touw to double the lead. With the insurance goal, Cape gave themselves a bit more freedom to press and capitalized when sophomore Kailey McMahon’s free kick got loose in the box, allowing Brown to tuck the ball into the twine for her second goal of the contest.

With a 3-0 lead in hand, Polytech stood little chance of tying the contest against a revamped Cape defense. Outside of a few chances early in the first half and late in the second half the, Vikings’ 18-yard box was clear of Panthers.

“We tried a new formation tonight, and it worked really well for us,” junior Brynne Fox said.

Thanks to the new tactic, the defense hit a season milestone with its first shutout.

“It feels really good to get a clean sheet,” Fox said. “It's a really big confidence boost for the rest of the season because this was our first big win.”

The girls are hopeful the victory is the start of a new trend in the season.

“We're starting our winning streak now,” Brown said.