October 20, 2022
Roundout Valley, NY – Men's Soccer lost to Ulster on Thursday in a well-fought battle for the Mid-Hudson Conference Championship.  The game marked the 7^th straight year that the Vikings qualified for the title match, having won 5 in a row before falling to the Senators last year in overtime.

Ulster has become one of Westchester's most fierce rivals in men's soccer with previous matchups proving to be highly contested and almost always emotionally charged.  Well-fought battles and close games have led to some hard feelings between the teams ahead of the Championship Game, held at Roundout Valley High School.   

The teams shook hands in a pre-game meeting to show that win or lose, sportsmanship needed to be a priority.  What ensued was a well-played and tough 90 minutes of intense soccer action.  For the better part of the first half, neither team could convert on scoring chances, though Ulster had some well struck shots on goal.  Goal Keeper Nicolas Nunez (Yonkers, NY/Sunders HS) played perhaps his best game of the year, facing tough shots, many times at point blank range which resulted in a few sprawling saves. 

Ulster struck first as the half wound down and took the early 1-0 lead.  The 2^nd half featured the same, tough but clean play by both teams, which resulted in a stalemate of scoring.  As time wound down with less than a minute to play, the Vikings vacated the goal for the extra man advantage and got off two near miss shots that were just wide of the goal.  When the clock expired, the Vikings were left stunned but also knew that they had given all they had to the game to try and win. 

The Senators celebrated briefly but then joined a disappointed Westchester team for the handshake line.  The team members shared genuine congratulations, showing that each appreciated the other team's efforts.  More importantly, they both fought hard but didn't give a competitive inch, all while doing so in a sportsmanlike manner. 

So much so, that in a rare moment of solidarity, the teams took a group picture together afterwards.  .Proving that rivalries can be alive and well, common ground can be met, and teams could play hard while showing mutual respect and high character. 
Despite the loss in the Conference Championship, the Vikings' season continues as the team will host the first round of the NJCAA Region XV Playoffs on Saturday, October 22^nd on Barret Field.  The game kicks off at 1pm.