ATLANTA, Ga. - A warm midday game at Oglethorpe University set the stage for a hard and physical battle between the Berry Vikings and the Montclair State University Red Hawks. The Vikings tried to establish a win streak coming off their 3-1 win against the Berea College Mountaineers on Friday, but in the end it would not be enough for the Vikings to prevail as they would end up falling short 2-1.
The beginning 20 minutes of the match saw a lot of pressure from the Red Hawks, and eventually in the 22nd minute it would cause them to convert the opening goal of the afternoon, leaving the Vikings in a 1-0 hole.
Eight minutes later, the Vikings would concede another goal to the Red Hawks causing their disadvantage to be doubled.
Despite the bad spell the Vikings were under during those 10 minutes, they would make a response nine minutes later as an intense set of aerial battles caused Soren Bednar to make the assisting pass to Duncan McKenzie with a header that landed in the bottom left corner of the net to make it a one-goal game. This was McKenzie's first goal of the season. The rest of the half was intense and even, leaving the score at 2-1 in favor of Montclair State.
The second half was scoreless, but it did not come without some physical duels. Players from both sides throwing their bodies on the line in pursuit of a victory, but the game would end 2-1 in favor of the Red Hawks.
The Vikings plan to get back to their winning ways against their next opponent, the Covenant College Scots, on Thursday, September 17 at Bob Pearson Field at 7:00 p.m. See you there!
