Giddings Shines as Vikings Outlast NFV in 2-0 Clash

Decorah Vikings win, City Council votes, New Referenda on the ballot — we're the one telling Decorah's story. Donate now. DECORAH — The North Fayette Valley boys soccer team won the battle of yellow cards Saturday, May 2, but it was Decorah that came away with the win, defeating a physical NFV squad 2-0. It was a packed house for what has been a competitive matchup year in and year out. Last season, the two teams played to a 2-2 tie. The year before, Decorah earned a 1-0 win. On Saturday, NFV competed throughout the match, but Decorah goalkeeper Jameson LaBelle was only forced to make one save as the Vikings controlled much of the play. The game-winning goal came midway through the first half when sophomore midfielder Oak Pasche sent a pass to senior Ian Giddings, who broke downfield. Giddings, who entered the match with a team-high 16 goals, added two more Saturday, scoring once in each half. Pasche leads the team with 10 assists. "The boys played very well," Decorah coach Zach Shearer said. "We are starting to see some of the consistency that we were missing at the beginning of the season. Defensively, we were very organized and held NFV to just one shot on goal and forced them to create half-chances." While pleased with the result, Shearer said there are still areas for improvement. "On the attacking end, we need to be more clinical," he said. "We had opportunities that should have been put away, but we didn't. It's great to create as many high-percentage chances as we did, but we really need to start finding the back of the net more regularly." The Vikings return to action this week with a busy schedule, hosting Dubuque Wahlert on Monday, May 4, for senior night before traveling to face New Hampton on Tuesday, May 5. "Overall, we are happy and we are playing our best soccer going into a tough stretch with Wahlert and New Hampton to start the week," Shearer said. "Wahlert is a well-coached, quality team that will test us on both ends of the field. New Hampton is a much-improved team compared to years past. Both will be a great opportunity to show the rest of the state how good the soccer is in northeast Iowa." Monday's home match against Wahlert is scheduled for 6 p.m. More information about the team can be found at GoBound. Be the first to know! Sign up for the free newsletter and unlock exclusive updates, breaking news, and tips from around the community.