Jared Kass’21 fields the ball and passes to the center. Jenny L’Hommedieu’19/ Media

The Viking boys soccer squad hit a rough patch this past week as they were defeated by Grandview Heights on Wednesday, October 3, and by Watkins Memorial on Saturday, October 6.

Academy entered Wednesday night’s matchup with high hopes after coming off last week’s dominant play against Bexley and Lancaster. The Vikes played uncharacteristically poorly on both sides of the pitch, and their effort resulted in an upsetting 1-0 defeat. This loss served as the team’s first league loss and with that a major setback for the squad in league standings. 

Looking to regain their momentum against Watkins Memorial, the Vikes fell short once again on Saturday, October 6, as they took another 1-0 shutout to the record books. The Warriors scored early on their home field, and the visiting Vikings failed to respond throughout the 80 minutes. 

Time is on the Vikings’ side as they enter postseason play in a couple weeks, for the group is still dealing with various injuries in key seniors Aidan Macchia, Tyler Schlonsky, and Alex McClellan, as well as Elias Marquez’20 and Jared Kass’21. 

The Vikes will travel to Hamilton Township on Thursday, October 11, and will then play host to Granville in their final regular-season matchup on Saturday, October 13. Thereafter, the Vikes enter postseason play, where they are seeded second in the central district for division two boys.