Men’s Soccer Games Scrapped Amid Weather Concerns
By Robert Dungan, Junior Photo Editor
The Vikings’ men’s soccer team opened their season on the road facing the talented Fulton-Montgomery CC Raiders on September 11th in Johnstown, NY. The two-hour, 15-minute match ended with the Raiders shutting out the Vikings 4 – 0. HVCC Keeper Jordan Clapper faced seven shots on goal and saved three. The Raiders controlled the game tempo for the majority of the match and won about every ball.
The men’s soccer team dropped their second consecutive match the following day, a 5-1 loss against Jamestown on Sunday, September 12th, at the Outdoor Athletic Complex on Hudson Valley Community College campus Troy, NY.
40 seconds into the game, Viking Sophomore midfielder Michael Palermo struck first, shooting unassisted through the Jayhawks keeper’s arms and finding the back of the net. The next forty-four minutes of the half did not produce any other goals. The half ended with the ball equally distributed across the field, neither team having an apparent advantage.
The Vikings seemed to open the second half to a refocused Jayhawk team. Keeper J. Clapper faced three shots in the opening minutes; in just four minutes and 32 seconds, the Jayhawks found a commanding 3-1 lead. Unfortunately, from that point forward, the Vikings never seemed to gain momentum again in the game. The Vikings continued to break down, and frustrations allowed another two Jayhawks goals, one unassisted.
The Vikings collected four Yellow Cards compared to the single Jayhawks penality.
Interesting Numbers:
| Available Players | Avg Playing Minutes per Player | Shots on Goal | Penalties | |
| HVCC | 11 | 68 | 18 | 4 |
| Jamestown | 29 | 51 | 6 | 1 |
The Viking Men’s Soccer team’s next home game is Saturday, September 25th, against SUNY Broome Community College.