The Reservoir Gators traveled to Ellicott City to take on the Mount Hebron Vikings, in our SportsMaryland.com Game of the Week. When Coach Ivan Croft took over the Gators four years ago, they were coming off a 0 win season but coming into this contest they were an impressive 5-0 (already besting their win total of last season) and are coming off a 3-0 waxing of Oakland Mills. Mount Hebron has been a Howard County and state power for years in Boy's Soccer, winning three state titles since 1999; most recently in 2006.
The Vikings however, are coming off a down year last season finishing under .500 on the season. Vikings coach Mike Linsenmeyer flat out said "I have no idea what to expect of this team" and told me his team has yet to put together "a full 80 minutes of good soccer." Hebron was coming into the game with a 2-0-2 record, recording 2 impressive ties against #2 River Hill and the defending 4A state champion Magruder Colonels. The Montgomery County power also won states in 2001. Mount Hebron was trying not to overlook a Reservoir team that had never defeated them in the history of their school. Did Reservoir pull the upset and move to 6-0? Or were the Vikings able to play a full 80 minutes of good soccer and turn the Gators away yet again? Here is the game action:
The Vikings came out firing getting a great scoring chance just 20 seconds into the game, forcing the Gators keeper to make a big save. The first good scoring chance for Reservoir came in the 7th minute when Johnathan Earl headed a free kick just over the Mount Hebron goal and the Gators did the same in the 20th minute off a cornerkick. The Vikings kept attacking, and it finally paid off with a goal in the 32 minute. Off a Mount Hebron free kick, Vikings senior Kevin Schmidt flicked a header towards the Gators goal catching the keeper of out position and the ball was then headed home by teammate Drew Vickers.
The Vikings took it to the Gators in the second half pumping in two more scores for a 3-0 final. The Vikings notched their second tally of the game when Kevin Fitch pounced on a loose ball off a cornerkick and put into the back of the old onion bag which pretty much sealed the game for Hebron. The Vikings got their 3rd and final goal when Garrett Nickles broke into the box and crossed a ball to Aidan Hoolachan who put it into the Reservoir net. Mount Hebron defeated the Gators 3-0 improving their record to 3-0-2 on the season. Coach Mike Linsenmeyer finally thinks his team played a full 80 minutes of good soccer and was undoubtedly happy with his team's performance. The Gators fell to 5-1 failing to score for the first time all season.
See Highlights of this game and my interview with Mount Hebron coach Mike Linsenmeyer on Metro Sports Weekly hosted by Todd Thelen next Saturday at 8 am on MASN.
