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Hibbing 2, North Branch 1

Missing top-scorer Brian Grand for the last 20 minutes of the game, the sixth-seeded Vikings boys' soccer team lost to eleventh-seeded Hibbing 2-1 last Thursday, October 9 at North Branch. The loss brought an early end to the best season in Viking soccer history.

Hibbing (8-10-2) got two sloppy goals in the first half to go up 2-0. Grand scored on a penalty kick early in the second half to cut the lead to one. But Grand was given a second yellow card when he was called for tripping with 20 minutes left in the game, resulting in his ejection. The Vikings (10-5-1), after losing their leading scorer and being forced to play a man short, had trouble generating any offense for the rest of the game and lost to the lower-seeded Bluejackets.

Grand's initial yellow card came in the first half came on a call many observers considered questionable, at best. Grand leaped above a group of players to head a ball. He landed sprawled out on the field, and didn't knock down or make hard contact with any of the Bluejacket players. But the referee gave Grand a yellow card for flagrant play for not controlling his body. It's a call many observers said they'd never seen before. But the call was made, and Grand's second yellow card later in the game ended his season.

"Hibbing put three or four guys on Brian for much of the game," said Viking head coach Peter Grand. "That meant some other players were open, but we didn't take advantage of the opportunity. After Brian left, our other players stepped it up and started making better passes. But I'm not sure they believed they could score."

ALL STATE

Brian Grand will likely be named to the Class A All-State soccer team this Sunday, October 19. The ceremony will take place at RiverCentre at Xcel Arena at noon. Tickets are $18.00 and need to be ordered by 5 p.m. Friday. For tickets, call 952-881-6721 or e-mail [email protected].

Coach Grand also nominated Austin Holmes for an all-state award. Holmes had an amazing 179 saves to lead the North Suburban Conference this season.

ACADEMIC AWARDS

Both the North Branch boys' and North Branch girls' soccer teams won the award as the top academic teams in the North Suburban Conference. "Academics are very important," said Coach Grand. "I'm very proud that both teams won."

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