Decorah Seniors Lead Vikings Through Competitive Night Against Union

Your contribution today guarantees Decorah News is asking the questions tomorrow. Act now. DECORAH — It was senior night on Thursday, May 7, as the Decorah girls soccer team hosted the Union Community Knights for a varsity and junior varsity doubleheader. The team celebrated seniors Elsa Christman, Clara Hjelle, Nora Lesmeister, Jessalyn Lozano, Kyra O'Hara, Allisson Ortiz and Ana Simon. Coach Teo Jubé said, "The current senior class showed us what amazing players and people they are. Dedicated is a word to describe them. From leading the team during off season by organizing pickup [games], registering to play winter leagues, showing up for early morning lifting and open gym, and showing a huge level of commitment and leadership during the season." For the actual game, on the varsity side, it was a back-and-forth kind of match, with each team trading possessions and shots throughout. In the end, however, Union was able to send a long shot into the goal with just 10 minutes left in the game. That goal proved to be the game-winner. Despite that, the Vikings made several good plays on goal, but the Union goalkeeper, senior Addie Pospisil, proved formidable, making 12 saves over the course of the evening. At one point, Union was issued a foul for passing back to the goalkeeper. The result was a free indirect kick inside the box. Union lined up on goal. Senior Clara Hjelle tapped the ball to senior teammate Nora Lesmeister, who fired a shot above the goalie, but Pospisil was able to secure the save. Throughout the match, the Viking offense produced several opportunities, coming from good passes and shots from sophomores Claudia Dixon, Leah Garcia-Prats and Kate Pattison, junior Vivian Searcy and seniors Hjelle, Lesmeister and Ana Simon. On the junior varsity side, the Vikings gave up three goals in the first half, but they tightened up their defense in the second half and shut the Union offense down. They fought valiantly but ended up scoring one goal, which came from senior Allisson Ortiz, who fired a shot past the goalie and into the bottom-right corner of the net. It wasn't a win on paper, but it was a high note to end the match. After a tough start to the season, these past six matches have been competitive, with four of the six resulting in wins. Jubé credits the senior class for leading the team through the ups and downs of the season. "Even in our rough patch toward the beginning of the season, when we struggled to compete against some teams, [the seniors] showed resilience and belief in themselves, the team and my ideas and plans for them. The outcome was great. From halfway through the season until now, that belief turned into a highly competitive team." Jubé believes the team is locked in and competing at an "amazing level." Get the inside scoop! Subscribe to the free DecorahNews.com newsletter and receive local news, expert analysis, and stories that matter most—straight to your inbox.