THUNDER BAY - Goals were scarce in the opening half, but the Hammarskjold Vikings found their touch when it mattered most and scored an upset win for their second high school boys soccer championship in three seasons.
Devon Hoier, Devan Jorgenson and Niko Dowhos all found the back of the net on Thursday evening, leading the Vikings to a 3-0 title-game win over the powerhouse St. Ignatius Falcons and earned a berth at next month’s provincial championship in Hamilton.
Hoier was just following in his brother’s footsteps.
“I played in Grade 10 and went to OFSAA and my brother scored the game-winning goal. For me to score it too, I can’t imagine how he felt, but it’s the best thing that’s ever happened to me,” said Hoier, who fired a crossing pass to Jorgenson in the 60th minute that led to Hammarskjold’s second goal.
Hoier’s marker came off a corner kick.
Jorgenson teed it up and Hoier, who plays for the Thunder Bay Chill’s under-18 squad and plans next season to play with the Premier Development League club, said he managed to execute his plan to perfection.
“I knew Devan would always get it on net. I trust him because we’ve played together forever. I thought I’d just go to the net and Alex (Pike) won the second ball. I had a wide open net and there’s nothing better than seeing my foot hit the ball and go in the net,” Hoier said. “It was the greatest feeling.”
The goal, which came in the 48th minute, opened the floodgates.
Jorgenson doubled the lead 11 minutes later and Dowhos finished it off in the 69th minute, the Falcons by then playing a man short after the Falcons Anthony Tassone was tossed for picking up his second yellow card of the contest.
It was an amazing accomplishment, Jorgnson said.
“It’s a great feeling to be able to do this with my team another time,” said Jorgenson, one of the final cuts from this year’s Ontario Cup squad.
“This is my second time going to OFSAA and it’s just an awesome feeling.”
His goal was textbook soccer.
Hoier took a lead pass and streaked down the right side of the Fort William Stadium field before spying his open teammate running a parallel course down the turf.
Falcons goalie Nick D’Angelo dove for the ball, but it eluded him along the ground and the Falcons led 2-0.
Jorgenson said the 4-0-2 Vikings might not have been able to keep up with the undefeated 6-0 Falcons in the regular season, but the championship was a different story.
“We might not have been as skilled as them, but we were soldiers out there and so working together we came through with the win,” Jorgenson said.
The Vikings landed in the quarterfinal at OFSAA in 2015 and Hoier said he thinks his team can meet or beat that in 2017.
Provincials begin on June 2.
