![Vikings Score 3 Wins at Weekend Tournament](/general/2023-24/releases/tweed.jpg?max_width=800)
The West Valley Vikings closed out the weekend with three wins and a close battle against Cal State Northridge. On Friday, the Vikings made a splash at Cerritos College and quickly showed Southwestern College who the powerhouse in the north is. In the first quarter, Alex Harris, Gianna Bozzo, and Hannah Edwards all scored two goals apiece. Anastasija Koreni, Aiyanna Mendoza, Mia Sickler-Lopez, and Marte Skibba all added a goal, closing out the first quarter with a strong lead of 10-0. Goalie Aspen Tweed was a wall for the first and second quarters, denying all shots from Southwestern. The game concluded WVC 16 - Southwestern 2.
The second game of the day was against the Comets, and similar to the morning game, the Vikings quickly jumped ahead in the first half with a 9-0 lead. Marte Skibba and Hannah both tallied up three goals apiece, but the defense by Anastasija Koreni was stellar. Anastasija had seven steals in the game, allowing the Vikings to jump ahead so quickly. The game ended with WVC 14 - Palomar 3.
On Saturday morning, the Vikings faced off with the much-anticipated game of the weekend against the OCC Pirates. In the first half, Bella Raynes led the Vikings with three goals, followed by teammates Marte Skibba, Hannah Edwards, and Sofia Orlandi, who each had one, ending the first half of the game with a 6-3 lead against the Pirates. In the third quarter, the Pirates came out strong, winning the quarter 3-0 against the Vikings, tying up the game 6-6. In the fourth quarter, the Pirates again jumped out quickly and scored the first goal of the quarter, leading for the first time in the game 7-6. Vikings answered back, drawing a kickout and executing on a powerplay, and once again tied the game 7-7. The Pirates reconvened and added one more goal, once again leading the game with only 2:39 left in the fourth. Vikings called a timeout with 40 seconds left in the game, with hopes to tie the game and head into overtime, and that is what happened when Bella Raynes passed the ball to teammate Taylor Hendricks, who not only scored her first goal in the tournament but also the goal to take the Vikings into overtime. Overtime was not nearly as thrilling as the first four quarters, as the Vikings won both overtime periods with a 3-0, and Bella Raynes leading the Vikings with two goals and Marte Skibba adding the third. The Vikings conquered the Pirates with an 11-8 win!
The last game of the tournament, the Vikings faced off with Division 1 Cal State Northridge. The Vikings jumped out quick with the energy of the previous win, and Sofia scored the first goal of the game. It was not much later when the Matadors tallied up four goals in the first quarter. Closing out the game, Sofia and Marte were leading the Vikings with goals, with three apiece, followed by teammates Hannah and Aiyana, both adding one. The Vikings' game concluded with a loss of 8-16.
The weekend was a success for the Vikings! The next matchup is Wednesday, October 18th, against Cabrillo College at home.