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by CHUCK FITZER

North Branch Boys

The Vikings boys’ soccer team scored once in the first half and the goal held up as the Vikings shut out the Becker Bulldogs 1-0 on Thursday, September 24 at North Branch High School. On Monday, September 28 at Cambridge-Isanti High School, the Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets tallied three goals in the first half and scored two more in the second half to beat the Vikings 5-0

North Branch Girls

The Viking girls are still searching for their first win of the season. They lost 14-0 to the Becker Bulldogs at home, 8-0 to the Cloquet/Carlton Lumberjacks at Members Cooperative Credit Union Stadium in Cloquet, and 6-0 to the Cambridge-Isanti Bluejackets at Cambridge-Isanti High School.

Chisago Lakes Boys

The Wildcat boys lost three games in the past week to stretch their losing streak to five games.  The St. Francis Fighting Saints scored three times in the first half and went on to shut out the Wildcats 4-0 on Thursday, September 24 at St. Francis High School. On Saturday, September 26, the Wildcats travelled to Noble Hall Stadium in Grand Rapids. The Thunderhawks took a 2-1 halftime lead and scored two more goals in the second half to beat the Wildcats 4-1. The Wildcats returned home to Chisago Lakes High School on Monday, September 28 and lost 3-0 to the Monticello Magic.

Chisago Lakes Girls

The St Francis Fighting Saints scored twice in each half to beat the Wildcats 4-0 on Thursday, September 24 at St. Francis High School. The Wildcats bounced back two days later when Emma Knabe had a hat trick to lead the Wildcats to a 6-0 shutout of the Hibbing/Chisholm Bluejackets. The Wildcat led 1-0 at halftime and exploded for five goals in the second half. Hailey Abayare scored twice and Ria Pohlman also scored. Five different Wildcats has assists. Sienna Benson had two, and Maddie Gavett, Pohlman, Kendall Schmidt, and Mackenzie Leonhardt contributed one assist each. And on Monday, September 28, the Wildcats returned home and tied the Monticello Magic 1-1 in front of their fans in Lindstrom.

Soccer Stuff

The annual clash of local rivals takes place today at Chisago Lakes High School. The Wildcat girls (4-5-2) will play the Viking girls (0-10-0) at 4 p.m. And the Viking boys (3-7-2) will play the Wildcat boys (5-8-0) at 6 p.m.

The high school soccer regular season ends next week. The Viking boys will host the Princeton Tigers on Monday, September 28 at 7 p.m. at North Branch High School, and will stay home to host the Cloquet-Esko-Carlton Lumberjacks the next night at 7 p.m.  The Viking girls will host the Duluth Denfeld Hunters this Saturday in a 1 p.m. matinee at North Branch High School. They will play at home against the Princeton Tigers on Monday, October 5 at 5 p.m.

The Wildcat boys will head to Zimmerman High School on Monday, October 5 to play the Thunder at 7 p.m. The Wildcats girls will be the first of the local teams to finish the regular season. They will head to Fridley to take on the Totino Grace Eagles this Saturday at noon. They will play the Zimmerman Thunder at Zimmerman High School at 5 p.m. on Monday, Ocboer 5. And their final regular season game will be on the road as they will take on the St. Croix Prep Lions at Lions Stadium in Stillwater at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, October 7.

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