SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Yellowjacket men's soccer team brought a four-match winning streak into today's contest against Upper Midwest Athletic Conference (UMAC) rival Bethany Lutheran. The 'Jackets and Vikings know each other very well, competing in the circuit's conference championship match over the last three seasons.
 
Their first meeting of 2023 was originally scheduled for Saturday, but due to inclement weather, both teams agreed to postpone the match to Sunday afternoon.
 
Looking at the box score, one would imagine it was a quiet half. However, if you watched the match live, you would disagree.
 
The Yellowjackets and Vikings were neck-and-neck in the first half, firing six and five shots, respectively. Harry Ambler (Reading, England/Little Heath School) fired one in the 14th minute, but Vikings goalkeeper Nick Lundberg was there to make the save. Following the 'Jacket shot, two Vikings fired shots to Yellowjacket junior goalkeeper Alex Paredes (Mequon, Wis./Homestead), but he thwarted any attempt of a goal early on.
 
The 'Jackets almost got the scoring started courtesy of Jake Kidd (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior), but Lundberg made a fantastic save to keep the match scoreless.
 
In the second half, both teams raised the intensity and were seeking to find the back of the net. That opportunity came for the Vikings, as in the 75th minute Daniel Almeida capitalized off a Yellowjacket backline error and fired a shot into an unoccupied goal.
 
The Yellowjackets attempted to create scoring opportunities, but with the combination of the Vikings backline and Lundberg, the 'Jackets were unable to pick up a goal, breaking a four-match winning streak and losing their first match to a UMAC team.
 
Josh Bellamy (High Wycombe, England/FAB Football Academy) and Jake Kidd (Superior, Wis./Superior Senior) ended the afternoon with four shots each. Paredes picked up five saves in net, while Vikings goalkeeper Lundberg collected three saves and the clean sheet.
 
The Yellowjackets (4-2-2, 3-1-0 UMAC) travel to Ashland and compete against Northland in another UMAC match-up Sept. 27. Kickoff is slated for a 4:30 start at Ponzio Stadium.