Staff Report

ROCKFORD – The Guilford Vikings positioned themselves to win their second NIC-10 boys soccer title in the past three years with a pair of shootout wins this week.

In the biggest Rockford Public Schools boys soccer showdown in years, the Vikings topped East on Tuesday. The high-scoring affair was tied at 4 at the end of regulation and an overtime period, but Guilford won the shootout, 4-3.

The Vikings followed that up by surviving a defensive struggle against Boylan on Thursday. The game ended regulation and overtime without either team having scored a goal. The Vikings then edged the Titans, 7-6, in the shootout.

Guilford improved to 6-0 in the NIC-10 and 12-4 overall. Boylan fell to 6-1 and East is 5-1.

The Vikings have conference games left against Harlem and Belvidere North. East still has Freeport and Jefferson on the schedule before wrapping up the regular season against Boylan on Oct. 17.