By Dale Miller
dale.miller@theindependent.com

Finally, after several seconds, someone yelled out "We won." And that set off a celebration among the Northwest players.

The celebration was deserved after the Vikings posted a breakthrough win against city rival Grand Island Senior High on Tuesday at Fonner Park. Petersen's final save came in the ninth round of a shootout and clinched a 2-1 victory.

"This is the first time we beat (Senior High), I think, ever," Petersen said. "To do it this way (in a shootout) is extra special."

The Islanders (0-4) had three potential game-winning tries during the extended shootout but couldn't convert before eventually being outscored 4-3.

Northwest coach Craig Charron credited Petersen with a big part in the win.

"Our defense stepped up and played well," he said. "They kept us in it.

"Kensie had an outstanding game. She had an outstanding overtime and an outstanding shootout. They had some shots I thought were going to go in."

The keepers Petersen and Grand Island's Ali Higgins kept things scoreless through the first two rounds of the shootout.

Each teams scored in the third and fourth rounds. Alison Lilley and Kelsi Brondel both freshmen converted for the Vikings (2-1) while Gabby Ayala and Samantha Harvey scored for the Islanders.

The teams traded scores again in the seventh round. Hannah Ward put the ball in the net for GINW before Senior High's Anna Srivisay extended the game.

After a pair of misses in the eighth round, Northwest took its fourth lead of the shootout. Sophomore Brittany Howell sent an arching shot over Higgins, and then Petersen came through with her game-clinching save.

Petersen said she tried to ignore any pressure in the shootout.

"You just go after them and don't let the pressure get to you," she said. "There is a little more pressure, but I have faith in my teammates."

Charron wanted his team to play with more confidence against the Islanders.

"It's an attitude thing," he said. "There have been years where we should have beaten Senior High. I told the girls today that if you believe in yourselves, you can win this game."

The game was scoreless until Brondel put a shot away from close range to put the Vikings ahead in the 59th minute.

"It was nice to see freshmen step up and score for us," Charron said. "When the shootout went down through the ninth shooter, we were using some young kids. And those young kids were putting the ball in. I don't know if they are too young to realize the pressure."

The Islanders took advantage of a mistake in regulation to tie the game in the 63rd minute. Audie Aguilar got behind the defense off an inbounds pass and went in to score.

"That was my mistake," Charron said. "I made a sub on defense and didn't get the players switched to the right position where they needed to be. They took advantage of it."

The Islanders also had some solid scoring chances early in the first overtime period put couldn't score again.

"We had plenty of shots," Grand Island coach Chuck DeWitt said. "We failed to clear it when they went up in the second half. That's what happens. If you don't take charge and score goals, then you'll get beat.

"This is disappointing. Hats off to Northwest. They played a good game."

Charron felt the Vikings matched up with the Islanders better than in previous meetings.

"In past years Senior High has had a great player like Abby Penas, Savannah Allen and Heidi Foland," he said. "They always had that one big player who came in and hurt us in the past. They don't have that big player this year. We stepped up. It was nice to get this win."

With a young team that entered the season with uncertain expectations, the Vikings are more than happy to start out the year 2-1.

"It's overwhelming," Petersen said. "I didn't think coming into the season that we'd play this well. This is absolutely awesome."