After dropping a disappointing North Suburban Conference match to Irondale last week, the Chisago Lakes volleyball team rebounded with a big win over the struggling Columbia Heights Hylanders on Thursday, Sept. 17.
Less than a minute after David Rau's goal tied the game late in the first half, Fridley responded with what can be best described as a "pinball" goal to take a 2-1 lead.
"In past years," said Viking girls' soccer coach Peter Grand, "Totino Grace and their coaching staff, led by head coach Matt Thibodeau, have always shown respect for the efforts of the Vikings even though the outcome of the matches was predictable."
With a little home cooking and a lot of familiarity with the course, the North Branch girls cross country team ripped through the North Branch Golf Course like a pack of cheetahs.
Trailing by 8 points with just under two-and-a-half minutes left in the game, the Wildcats were perched on the Benilde-St. Margaret's ten yard line, first and goal.
Behind two goals from outstanding forward Brian Grand, the Vikings achieved their goal of going undefeated through their first five games by beating Fridley 3-2 in front of a happy hometown crowd last Tuesday, September 8.
Although Cambridge-Isanti has traditionally given the Wildcats fits in the pool, Chisago Lakes nearly knocked the Bluejackets off in a non-conference meet.
Although the North Branch volleyball team had already secured their first conference win of the season in a 3-1 upset of Irondale, they were looking for more last week when they took on the Benilde-St. Margaret's Red Knights and the St. Francis Saints.
After coming off their biggest win in years, the North Branch Vikings came out a little too flat against a rejuvenated Fridley team on Friday, Sept. 11.
Trailing 2-0 at halftime, the Wildcats managed just one goal with five minutes left in the second half and fell to Roseville 2-1 last Tuesday, September 1 at Roseville.
When the smoke had cleared and the dust had settled and Elvis had left the building, the result of the game was still the same: North Branch 3, Chisago Lakes 2.