The Union Pines girls' soccer team lost 4-1 to Western Harnett on Monday in Lillington, in a match between the top two teams in the Cape Fear Valley Conference (CFV).

It was the first league loss of the year for the Vikings who are now tied atop the CFV standings with the Eagles at 6-1 in conference play.

It was an undermanned Union Pines squad (8-2 overall) that took the pitch at Western (9-1) in the first place showdown. The Vikes were without freshman phenom Jessie Wilson, a starting middle fullback and the team's fastest player, who was serving the first of a four-game suspension after receiving a red-card in Union Pines' 9-0 win last week against South Johnston. Also unavailable for the Vikings due to illness, was junior forward Anna Pilson who leads the team in assists (8) and is second in goals scored this season (7).

In an effort to shore up the defense, Viking head coach Jessica Edmiston opted to move freshman Carly Lively, who has eight goals and five assists this year from the center forward spot to the middle of the Vikes' back four. While the move seemed to keep the defense strong, it left the team without its usual potent speed, power and depth up top.

Still, it was the Vikings who drew first blood in the ninth minute of match as Kacey Graner scored on a cross from Ellie Reynolds. Western provided an answer with 18:46 left in the first half, when Jenna Truncellito headed the ball in for a goal off a corner kick from Megan Valtin.

Union Pines made a bid to take back the lead in the 34th minute when Reynolds served a cross toward captain Kayla Lively in the penalty box. But, the junior midfielder's shot sailed just high, skimming the cross bar and the teams entered intermission deadlocked at 1-1.

As the second half started, the Eagles began controlling possession of the ball and unleashed a serious offensive surge on the Viking goal. On its fourth shot of the second stanza, Western took the lead on a breakaway score by Lisa Pasqual. Remaining on the attack, Western got off another three shots before Pasqual struck again. After winning a 50-50 ball off a Vike goal kick, she broke loose to score, making it 3-1 with 21:41 remaining in the match.

Union Pines managed to get only one shot off in the second half as Western's speedy back line, led by Morgan Goodwin, thwarted countless Vike runs before they could materialize into serious threats. In contrast, the Eagles fired off 11 shots in the final frame and outshot the Vikes 16-5 in the match.

Edmiston moved Carly Lively up to her usual spot at center forward with 18:49 remaining in the match. The Vike freshman made a few deep runs but could not penetrate through the interior of Western's determined defense. With 12:49 left in the match, the Eagles drove home the final nail in Union Pines' coffin as they scored their second goal of the night off a corner kick.

The Vikings will try to rebound from their first league defeat of the year, tonight in Spring Lake, where they face Overhills at 7 p.m.

Contact F.W. Manning II at 639-5481 or by email at fwm2@nc.rr.com