About halfway thru the season and it appears Hudson has taken control of the conference race and is now the clear favorite for the Conference Title. Fighting it out for second and a high seed in the tournament is Memorial and River Falls. North and Rice Lake are in a battle for 4th and the teams struggling so far this year include Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and Superior.

Hudson is the class of the BRC. 8 wins in 8 tries. The most impressive was their recent win over River Falls, 6-2 and a 2-0 win over Memorial. As well, this past weekend they had a nice win over DC Everest, ranked #5 in D1, 1-0. Their only loss this year against a very good Middleton team, ranked 7th in the State. Memorial and River Falls have one more game left and likely the winner of that game finishes second in the Big Rivers. If I have it right, Memorial has won 5 straight BRC Titles….I guess it was going to happen at some point…another champ. Not over yet, but feels like Hudson has this under control right now.,

Big Rivers Conference

1. Hudson 8-0-0 24 points
2. River Falls 6-1-1 19 points
3. Memorial 5-1-1 16 Points 1 game behind.
4. Rice Lake 4-2-1 13 Points
5. North 3-4-1 10 Points
6. Chippewa Falls 0-0-6 0 Points
7. Menomonie 0-0-6 0 Points
8. Superior 0-0-6 0 Points

Week of 4.29 Schedule

Tuesday Games: North 7 v. Chippewa Falls 1, Hudson 2 v. Memorial 0, River Falls 8 v. Superior 0, Rice Lake 2 v Memonomie 1.

Thursday Games: River Falls 2 v North 0, Hudson 11 v Chippewa Falls 0, Memorial 4 v Menomonie 1, Superior 2 v. Rice Lake 6

Week of 5.6 Schedule

Tuesday Games: Rice Lake @ Memorial, Chippewa Falls @ Menomonie, North @ Superior, River Falls @ Hudson

Thursday Games: North @ Hudson, River Falls @ Menomonie, Chippewa Falls @ Rice Lake, Memorial @ Superior

Game of the Week: River Falls @ Hudson. OOnly really 2 more chances to hand Hudson a defeat, the game with River falls and Memorial. Can RF have a statement win?

Soccer Girls Rankings D1

1. Brookfield Central
2. Waunakee
3. Arrowhead
4. Kimberly
5. DC Everest
6. Bay Port
7. Middleton
8. Kenosha Bradford
9. Kettle Moraine
10. Germantown

Memorial’s non-conference schedule this year has been a bear. Not sure that was the plan, but if you want to face some tough competition to prepare your team for the post season…..you definitely got that accomplished. Memorial has played #3 Arrowhead, #4 Kimberly, #5 DC Everest and D2 #7 Pewaukee. And they have done okay….were competitive, played with great character, but just did not have enough fire power to compete with these teams….YET…the season is building and I think Memorial could become a dangerous team to play at the end of the season. In several of the games, the score was close for a half. But at some point the quality showed thru. Plus, need some more goals against the best teams. Only 1 goal in these games. Hudson might make an appearance in the Top 10 soon as they have only 1 loss (against #7 Middleton) and a win against a Top 10 team as well (DC Everest).

River Falls currently #9 in D2

Regis/McDonell currently #9 in D4

So, about halfway thru the season and time to reflect. Are we disappointed? Is Memorial a victim of their own success? Is it okay to have a bit of a down year….and is that a bit harsh…they are in second in conference and playing well. It’s just we have come to expect Conference Champion next to Memorial’s name every year. I was not able to catch the early season games and was only able to hear about the games thru the twitter feed—thank you to whoever is the tweet master–very cool to keep connected. I had a chance to catch parts of Menomonie, DC Everest and Kimberly this past week. A few observations. The team still has plenty of talent and great players across the pitch. But maybe not quite the talent of the past few years when there were All Conference players everywhere. Scoring goals has become more difficult. There is not a natural goal scoring threat up front. Lauren Carmody has the attitude and skill but has missed some game time this year and that impacts the offensive output. Against the best defenses in the State, Memorial has struggled to score and get quality chances. From width, Memorial looks dangerous. Both Kison and Beaudrie have speed, a good shot and the ability to put crosses into the box. The video below is a common site in the games I saw. Building from width looks like a promising opportunity.

Another way to get goals is Set pieces. When goals are not coming in the normal run of play then using all opportunities to score becomes vital. Memorial looks dangerous in these spots as well. The balls coming into the box on corners is really good. Direct kicks have produced some opportunities. Sometimes they look a bit ugly, but corners and a scramble and a ball in the net counts just as much as an upper 90 screamer. Kison knocks one home against Menomonie below.

And I cant have post on scoring goals and opportunities without giving a shout out to Gretchen Hanson. That flip throw in is pretty amazing. I had the chance to catch it on camera a few times and this was the one with the best chance to score. The ability to execute the throw is pretty freaky. I mean, who does that, really. And then the distance…the ball typically lands in the middle of the box….every time. Getting the throw off is one thing, but to then have it land in the middle of the box….crazy. Not sure how she figured that out, or what caused her to want to try that move, but again, pretty impressive. I picked the video below because it was one of the better scoring opportunities against Kimberly. the second ball after the header becomes very dangerous. The ball comes back out to Hanson who puts a great ball back across the face of goal….but on this day, it was just not meant to be.

Other quick observations.

The margin for error is very slim against the best teams. Memorial plays hard, fights the whole game, shows great character….but….a small wobble has cost them. …or an unfortunate goal goes against them. The DC
Everest game had a crazy deflection, Kimberly had a tough bounce on a shot, a tough call leads to a direct kick goal. Again, just no margin for error. Goods teams take advantage. The schedule has been tough as well. Games against top teams with no results….except I think the team is growing. You learn a ton is these games. Players grow, players learn to fight, players improve.

Midfield is critical. I am looking for some more consistency in Midfield. Winning 50-50 balls, winning possession, sustaining possession, shutting down attacks can all happen in midfield. If they get a full roster and a few weeks to find some rhythm, I think the midfield play starts to control the game better. Kimberly had a few studs in midfield and you could see the impact. There is plenty of season left, another game against Hudson and plenty to play for. These tough moments in the season can turn into the fuel for the late season run. Players are gaining valuable experience, they are learning from a few tough results and it can really be part of defining a team as they enter the final third of the season.

I also had the opportunity to watch the JV team in action this past week. I am a bit biased when it comes to JV….having the opportunity to be around many of these players over the past 4-5 years. I must say, the JV team has been impressive. Some of that is the competition….but in their biggest games, Arrowhead and Hudson, they have performed really well. No losses yet and some big wins against quality programs. 9 Seniors on the roster so Memorial will need these JV players to continue to develop to fill some holes next year. The future is bright based on the talent on JV.

Greta gets loose out wide and gets a nice pass and calmly slots it into the net.

Greta dangerous again, and puts in a nice cross. Molly gets a nice hustle goal, just fights thru the defense to poke it in.

Molly Hower with the long range effort.

It is really fun to see all these JV players in high school after the years of playing club soccer. Can’t wait to see them on Varsity in the coming years.

Go Abes…Finish Strong!

The season is rolling along, we are a few weeks in and teams are settling into their positions in Big Rivers. There are three distinct groups of teams currently. At the top, fighting it out for the BRC Title is Hudson, Memorial and River Falls. In the middle of the pack is North and Rice Lake and the teams struggling so far this year include Chippewa Falls, Menomonie and Superior.

Hudson is starting to look like the class of the BRC. 6 wins in 6 tries. All pretty easy…..9-0, 6-0, 10-0, 8-1, 10-0, 6-2. The most impressive was their recent win over River Falls, 6-2. River Falls was looking dangerous…..a 3-3 draw against Memorial when they led 3-1. They roll into Hudson and get beat pretty good. Of note for Hudson, Sydney Spencer scored 5 goals in the River Falls game. She is new to HS Soccer having played for St. Croix Academy the past two years instead of her high school team. Her first year with the Raiders is proving pretty good for her and Hudson. Wow….five goals….impressive. Their only loss this year against a very good Middleton team, ranked 5th in the State. Memorial is currently in 2nd position but has a tough test next week with a home game against Hudson. Hudson can really create some separation next week with a win at Memorial.

Big Rivers Conference

1. Hudson 6-0-0 18 points
2. Memorial 4-0-1 13 Points
3. River Falls 4-1-1 13 Points
4. Rice Lake 2-2-1 7 Points
5. North 20301 7 Points
6. Chippewa Falls 0-0-4 0 Points
7. Menomonie 0-0-4 0 Points
8. Superior 0-0-4 0 Points

Week of 4.29 Schedule

Tuesday Games: North v. Chippewa Falls, Hudson v. Memorial, River Falls v. Superior, Rice Lake v Memonomie.

Thursday Games: River Falls v North, Hudson v Chippewa Falls, Memorial v Menomonie, Superior v. Rice Lake

Memorial Old Abes

After a fast start, a tough weekend and then a few tight games, Memorial enters an important stretch of the season. Can they find their early season scoring form, tighten down their defense, improve their possession game and somehow find a way to get a result against Hudson. It is a big ask but an important game. The talent is there. With 7 games into the season, leaders are developing. They have faced some adversity. They rallied last week from 1 and 2 goal deficits to earn a tie and a win. Sometimes you have a week in a season that creates a tipping point. I think maybe the two games last week where the team had to fight back in both games showed a lot of character. A lot of fight was needed to come back for the results. That experience goes a long way to defining a young team. Its hard to replace the group that left last year….a ton of All Conference talent and great leaders. But…maybe….just maybe….the last few weeks have been exactly what this team and 1st year coach Hanson needed. Winning ugly, fighting, clawing, making comebacks. We’ll see this week as they face a strong team who is feeling good. Really excited to see how they fare against Hudson.

So things are going pretty good for the Memorial Girls team so far this year. A new coach, a bunch of returning players, great leadership and a fast start have everyone feeling pretty good. Three wins over Big Rivers teams Menomonie, Superior and Chippewa Falls by a combined 22-1. That’s the good news. But this weekend, the Abes step out of conference and will find out a lot about their team. They are off to Arrowhead for a Quad against Arrowhead, a preseason Top 10 team in D4, and a Saturday game against Pewaukee. Arrowhead was ranked 3rd in D! as of this week while Pewaukee is ranked 9th in D2. Ready or not….the season is here.

Solid Start to the Year

When the season started we had a few questions.

1. Will the Abes be able to replace the scoring from All Conference Forward Abigail Stow. Check that box so far. 22 goals by 10 different players. Now….we know the competition has not been the fiercest…no disrespect to their 3 opponents….but things are about to get tougher. Lauren Carmody leads the way with 5 goals, but Jackie Beaudrie, Emily Gross and Ava Kison have pitched in with 4-3-3 respectively. Goals by committee is a great path forward. Goals coming from multiple positions will keep opposing defenses from just focusing on shutting down 1 player. I like it so far.
2. Will the GK and Defense shut down opposing teams? Check that box. 1 goal allowed in 3 games and that goal was on a set play. No goals allowed from field play. Impressive. I saw the stats from the Chippewa Falls game. 48 shots taken and only 1 shot allowed. 1 shot! The defense returned 3 starters on the back line and 1 in midfield along with a really strong GK. Sometimes scoring comes in waves and can go cold at times. Defense is a constant. We will learn in the next two games, but feeling pretty confident, Memorial will not give up a bunch of goals….will they be able to score against premier defenses is the question.

Weekend Expectations

Bummed I won’t be able to attend, but I am hoping the Abes can come away with at least 1 win this weekend. Might be too much to expect them to take down Arrowhead….pulling for it….but that is a big ask. A close game, a battle, score a few goals, put some pressure on Arrowhead….maybe find a way for a win. They have not been tested yet this year. They have not been behind yet this year. They have not had any game pressure on them yet this year. It’s time to learn and Arrowhead will give them that opportunity. I am thinking 2-1 type game. Coach Hanson’s first big game as Varsity coach. She has been on the bench for a bunch of these type games as a player and Assistant Coach so she knows the feeling. How will she handle rotations, how will the team handle this level of competition, etc. It will be a great experience for her. It will be a great experience for the team. Pewaukee on Day 2 will be interesting as well. Back to back games will really test the resolve and competitive fire for any team. I am thinking with what they learn in Game 1 they are really ready to deliver a result on Day 2. They really need the Arrowhead game. It will give them the perspective they need to build from for thje rest of the season. Coach Hanson needs some coachable moments. She is about to get a few I think! Go Abes.

Other Soccer News

-North scored their first goal of the season and outlasted Menomonie 1-0 for their first conference win this year.

–River Falls took down Rice Lake 7-1 and is looking very dangerous.

-Hudson off to a good start this year, 3-0 in conference and only 1 loss to non-conference foe Middleton.

So here we go…the Olivia Hanson era at Memorial officially gets under way this week. Memorial has two games this week in conference and they better be ready, a tough second game against a ranked opponent.

Weeks Schedule

Tuesday April 9th vs. Menomonie

Thursday April 11th at Rice Lake.

Friday/Saturday April 12/13: Dells Quad against Madison Memorial and Kaneland (IL)

Season Schedule

Key games this season will be played in the non-conference against the following teams: #6 DC Everest, #8 Arrowhead along with the potential for a top 10 match up in the DC Everest Invitational. Another stacked non-conference schedule to get the team ready for post season.

Key games in the conference this year include the always difficult Hudson, along with D2 #7 River Falls and D3 #7 Rice Lake. These games will seriously test the Old Abes.

Preseason Top 10

1. Bay Port
2. Sheboygan North
3. Sun Prairie
4. Homestead
5. DSHA
6. DC Everest
7. Brookfield Central
8. Arrowhead
9. Kettle Moraine
10. Middleton

Shout out to Regis/McDonell who open the season as the #3 team in D4.

Key Questions

1. Can we get some scoring and replace the goals lost by Player of the Year Stow.
2. Can the Midfield step up and replace All conference performer Bowe.
3. Can the defense keep them in every game while the offense develops.
4. A ton of talent. Excited to see them play and what formation they go with and which players fill the open spots.

Let’s Go Abes!

Another season approaches but this year comes with a bit of excitement and uncertainty. The loss of some significant Seniors who led the program for several years as well as a change at the top, Scott DeRusha, a very successful coach, has moved on and we start the Olivia Hanson era at Memorial. A former player, a very good player by the way, takes over the program. She certainly understands Memorial Soccer having come up thru the program. Taking over your Alma Mater is a dream job for many coaches. Moving up from the JV coach also gives her some continuity….she knows the players, she knows the formation (unless she has a new plan or shape in mind), and she knows the expectations. As well though, it’s a big jump…JV coach to leading one of the top programs in the State. She certainly has a big task in front of her and I am pulling for her. The people I know who know her well are all impressed with her. Knowledgeable, smart, mature are common themes. If the school can find her a good supporting cast of assistant coaches and a new JV coach then she will have what she needs to be successful. The biggest reason for her success will be her players, and Memorial has a full cast of quality players ready to step up for the new coach. Returning at least 6 starters and a few more who tallied a ton of minutes is a great start. Replacing Gerry, Bowe, Barstad, Sorenson and Stow is a big task.

Lets start with the defense. Returning the likely All Conference GK is a really really good start for a new coach. Add to that 3 returning defenders of which two could be All Conference and you have the beginnings of a team who will not give up many goals and may have a ton of shut outs.

Midfield has Carmody returning and a few players ready for a bigger role; Graaskamp and Chambers. Out wide you have Beaudrie returning who logged a ton of minutes, scored 9 goals and had multiple starts. Finding a few more wingers with speed, skills and a big shot is on the list for Coach Hanson. Who will step up from the new Senior class and be a key contributor….which JV players are ready for Varsity….is there a Freshman newcomer ready for Varsity. Some of the answers to these questions will help fill out the roster. Every great team is deep and has quality subs, Coach Hanson will need to find a few more players to contribute. Up top, no way to replace the back to back Conference Player of the Year, just no way. So you just hope 2-3 players can fill in that space. Lauren Carmody (20 goals last year) is ready to assume the mantle of leading scorer, but Hanson will need to few more dynamic players up top to get the goals they lose with Stow. Stow was a bit of a safety blanket; she could score at any moment, from anywhere on the pitch, and had a ton of late big goals to win games. That’s gone….can they score by committee and can they increase the ball movement up top to create chances. Cant wait to see them play!

I wanted to drop in my last post from the spring wrapping up the season to get everyone ready for the new season. Take a quick walk down memory lane.

2018 Season in Review Memorial Girls

June 25, 2018 No Comments

So, a few weeks have passed and now it is time to reflect.  Memorial wrapped up their season in the Sectional Finals with a difficult 4-2 loss to Bay Port.  I could have written this blog last year…same result, Memorial loses to Bay Port in the Sectional Finals, just a different score 3-2 in OT.  Felt like this one was headed to OT until the cruel fates of soccer prevailed.  A shot to take the lead just misses and near full-time, Bay Port somehow finds the game winner on a shot that typically does not find the net.  In a game of inches, Bay Port found a way against a very good and determined Memorial team.  Bummer dude.  That sucks!   Tough way to go out…back to back years to Bay Port.  Does it help that Bay Port went on to win the State Title.  Not sure, but maybe it was just destiny…Bay Port lost in the State finals last year and was on a revenge tour to get back and win.  That on top of having some of the best talent in the state.  Tough combination.

So..a successful season by an awesome group of players or …..a disappointment to go out in the same round against the same team…YES.  I think you probably are feeling both, but mainly you just wanted to see this group make it to State.  They really deserved that.  Just dumb luck to have to face the State Champion in the Sectional Finals.  I felt this team had all the keys to a deep run.  Solid GK, tough defense, possession minded and aggressive midfield, dynamic forwards, experience….just needed a little luck as every team does to get to state.  Bummer dude…did I say that already?  So I am taking the great season approach!

So let’s take a little stroll down memory lane and recap the season for you.

Season Stats

Record: 18-3-1

Shut Outs: 9

Goals Scored: 119  (5.4 per game)

Goals Allowed: 22 (1 per game)

Conference Record: 14-0

Conference, Regional Champ

Player Stats- Goals Scored

Abigail Stow 37

Lauren Carmody 20

Josie Barstad 14

Jacque Beaudrie 9

Ali Bowe 8

Serena Sorenson 7

Ava Kison 5

Molly Graaskamp 5

Olivia Pasch 3

Madison Etzel 2

Morgan Priem, Sarah Lindsay, Rebekah Gerry, Jenna Hinden, Claire Steines 1 each.

A few thoughts:

Good News/Bad News.  34% of your goals are returning…but you lost the Conference Player of the year.

Stow was Hot late.  As the season progressed, Stow started to take over.  She scored 37, but 25 of those were in the last 9 games.  She scored the only 2 goals in the final game.

Post Season Honors

With a team this successful, you are going to have some players recognized for the individual performances.

Abigail Stow: Conference Player of the Year, 1st Team All Conference, 1st Team All State

Ali Bowe: 1st Team All Conference, 2nd Team All State.

Rebekah Gerry, Serena Sorenson, Ava Kison: 1st Team All Conference

Lauren Carmody, Leah Hujik: 2nd Team All conference

Jordan Barstad: Honorable Mention Big Rivers.  I think maybe Cameron Carmody as well, but not 100% sure I have that right, My apologies.  She certainly deserves it!

State Tournament Results

Division 1.  Bay Port over Sheboygan North 3-1 for State Title.  Interesting note: Bay Port’s only loss of the season was to Sheboygan North 1-0.  What a way to end your season, getting revenge on your only loss of the year and winning state after losing in the finals the previous year.  Story book stuff.  It’s a pretty cool story…except they beat us.  Bummer Dude!D

In case you were not aware, Memorial has a nice history in the state soccer tournament.  9 trips to State along with 15 BRC titles, and I think.  Impressive.

DeRusha Resigns

Hard to have a season recap without mentioning there is a change of leadership coming to Memorial Old Abes girls soccer program.  Scott DeRusha stepped down as Head Coach after a very successful 5 year run at the helm.  An impressive 99-16-3 record, 5 BRC Titles in 5 years and 1 trip to State.  Sure wish he had hit the century mark, would have meant a trip to state.  Bummer Dude!  It is a very attractive program for a head coach candidate.  Great program, successful history, rich tradition, dominant Conference record, a winning program with a chance to get to State every year.  Sounds pretty good.  Anxious to hear the replacement.  Can they keep their run going….will they reload and not rebuild….will they change systems…great questions.  I do know they have some serious talent to build around.  AND some serious talent coming into the program as Freshman next year.  All the best to Coach DeRusha, quite a run and quite a program he built.  Thank You!  The future is bright!

A few Highlights to Remember the Season

Started the season on an 13 game unbeaten streak.  Impressive.

Ranked as high as #2 in the State Coaches Poll in mid season.  The highest ranking I can remember for the program.

Winning Goal vs North

Maybe the Best Game of the Year.  A classic game of two really good teams.  Physical play, great athletes all over the field.  Down 1-0 late when Abigail Stowe did this.  This really sums up her Conference Player of the Year Award.  Wow!  And you just knew it would happen and DC Everest still couldn’t stop it.

Congrats to the 7 seniors on a great season and for your contributions to the program.  This will be a tough group to replace but the program is deep and the next wave is coming! Returning starters Hujik (GK), Ava Kison, Abby Jochimson, Gretchen Hanson (Defenders), Jacque Beaudrie (winger), Cameron Carmody (Midfield) and Lauren Carmody (Forward) make a solid foundation to build from.  A deep bench with players ready to fill the gaps from the Seniors.  A JV program full of potential.  Whose next!  Go Abes!

Well, another season comes to an end this weekend with the completion of the state tournament.  Let’s take a look at how things finished up for the year in each division.

Semifinals: Friday, Nov. 2
#1 Marquette  3,  #4 Sun Prairie 0
#2 Hamilton 3, #3 Green Bay Preble  0

Championship Game: Saturday, Nov. 3
Marquette  3, Hamilton  0

DIVISION 2

Semifinals: Thursday, Nov. 1
#4 New Berlin Eisenhower  1, #1 Cedarburg  0
#2 Oregon  3, #3 Holmen  2

Championship Game: Saturday, Nov. 3
Oregon 3, New Berlin Eisenhower 1

DIVISION 3

Semifinals: Thursday, Nov. 1
#1 McFarland 2,  #4 Plymouth  0
#2 Pius XI Catholic 7,  #3 Baldwin-Woodville  3

Championship Game: Saturday, Nov. 3
Pius XI Catholic  3, McFarland  1

DIVISION 4

Notes

-In the least shocking news of the weekend, Marquette defeated Homestead to win its 14th State Championship in the 19 years since the Public and Private school systems were joined together in 2000.  Yes-you heard that right-they have won 14 of the 19 state championships in Division 1.  Please see Marquette Rant in the previous post.

-The best team I saw play all year was Oregon, who played and defeated Memorial 2-0 in a non-conference game.  The were big, fast, skilled and started 11 seniors with several more seniors coming off the bench.  It is a pretty cool story.  They made the Championship game last year and lost to Whitefish Bay, but returned a ton of seniors.  To have the goal of getting back to the championship game, and to actually get there and then win it.  Wow.  What a season for Oregon.  A real feel good story for sure.

-A shout out to the soccer being played in Western Wisconsin.  Baldwin-Woodville made it to the state semi-finals and Amery made it to the state finals game in Division 3 and Division 4.  That is impressive and a great sign that teams from this area can compete against the big city boys from Milwaukee and Madison.

-If you are keeping score, maybe it is only me, but this year 3 of the 4 winners were from Private Schools.  Oregon, featuring a starting line up of all Seniors, were able to get one for the public schools.

Memorial season round-up post coming soon.

So, it has been 8 days since my last post.  It happened last year as well, I just needed a good week after Memorial got beat to let my system reset and get back into the groove on the blog.  It is hard when a team you follow goes down.  It is especially hard if they go down they way Memorial did.  The title of the last blog was accurate.  It was Epic….just not the kind of epic we all wanted.  But life and soccer move on, with or without Memorial in the playoffs.  I will get some season recap blogs organized and try to wrap up the season and project a little moving forward to 2019.

Until then, let’s get caught up on the playoffs and see what has happened since Memorial got knocked out.

Division 1 Recap

Sectional 1 Results.

#1 Green Bay Preble defeats #5 Appleton North.  The game ends 0-0 and Preble wins the PK shoot out 5-3.  So the PK shoot out giveth, Appleton North defeated Memorial 10-9 is the Epic battle previously blogged about but then, the PK shoot out taketh away.  Appleton North experienced the incredible high of the epic win, quickly followed by the incredible low of losing to the #1 seed just four days later.  An emotional roller coaster for sure after their game against Memorial.  0-0 games sound bad but can be incredibly stressful to play in and watch.

#3 Hudson defeated #2 Kimberly 2-0 to advance to the Sectional Finals.

Green Bay Preble (predicted by a local up and coming soccer blogger to be the team to defeat if you wanted to make it to state) defeats Hudson 2-1 to Advance to State.  Congrats to Hudson for advancing to the Sectional Finals.  Green Bay Preble was the second best team I watched this year.  Oregon was the best team I saw.

Other teams advancing.

#2 Hamilton defeated #7 Arrowhead, #6 Homestead, and #5 Oshkost West to advance to State.  The #1 seed Neenah got knocked off by Oshkosh West.  The same Oshkosh West that lost to Madison East who we beat in our weekend Quad a month ago.  Probably the highlight of Memorials season was the two games in Milwaukee defeating Wauwatosa and Madison East.

#5 Sun Prairie knocked off #4 Middleton, #1 Verona, and #2 Kettle Moraine on their way to qualifying for State.  An impressive run. Three upsets in three days.  The conference in Madison was loaded with 3-4 Top 10 teams and obviously it prepared Sun Prairie for the playoffs and a deep run.

And in the least surprising news of the year, Marquette qualifies for State.  Winning their 4 games by a combined 30-0. No OT games.  No PK shoot outs. No epic battles, No drama.  10-0, 6-0, 8-0, 6-0.  This is a real problem in soccer in Division 1 in the State of Wisconsin.  Marquette , and other private schools should not be in the same division as the Public Schools.  No way, no how, not right, doesn’t make any sense, and why doesn’t anyone do something about it.  It is so painfully obvious.

Marquette Rant Now Officially Beginning.

For some reason the State of Wisconsin and the WIAA decided in 2000 they should combine the public and private schools championships.  Not sure then other sports, but in soccer it is not working.  Lets take a quick walk down memory lane since 2000. This will be the 19th year since they joined the groups together.  It will be Marquette’s 18th appearance in State.  Only 1 year, 2013, that Marquette did not qualify for the state tournament.  How awful would it have been to be a Senior on that team, I mean really, how embarrassing.  How about the reunion in 2023, I might skip that reunion.  How can you show your face.  A quick recap of their performance over the last 18 years of tournaments.

First Place -13 Times

Runner Up- 2 times

Semi-Finals – 2 times

Missed State Playoffs – 1 time

83% of the time , Marquette makes the State Finals.

72% of the time, Marquette wins the State Championship

95% of the time, Marquette makes the Final Four

That’s just dumb really.  I mean, the only thing worse than being in Division 1 soccer is if you were a participant in Sectional 4, where Marquette is placed. I mean, how would you even approach the season.  Okay boys, here we are, another start to our season.  Let’s set our goals this year.

-Make the Division 4 playoffs.

-Try to get placed in the opposite side of the bracket from Marquette.  Maybe even lose a game late in the season so your seeding changes and you are on the opposite side of the bracket from Marquette.

-Make it to the Sectional Finals

-Hope you don’t get beat 10-0 by Marquette in the Sectional Finals.

I mean, really, only 1 time in 19 years they have missed winning Sectional 4.  This should be fixed.  It is not right.  Why would Marquette even want to participate in the Wisconsin State tournament.  Why don’t they just opt out of it and go play a National tournament.  It is not really a competition for them.  See notes above for average winning score of 7.5- 0 in Sectionals this year.  What’s the point really.  Yeah! We won the State Tournament…..again.

Marquette Rant Officially Ending Now

Whew…that felt good.  Breathing a bit easier now.  Let’s move on from big bad Marquette.

State Semi-finals Schedule.

DIVISION 1

Semifinals: Friday, Nov. 2
Game-1:  #1 Marquette (18-1-2) vs. #4 Sun Prairie (14-5-3) – 11 a.m.
Game-2:  #2 Hamilton (15-1-3) vs. #3 Green Bay Preble (17-1-6) – 1:30 p.m.

Championship Game: Saturday, Nov. 3
Winner of Game-1 vs. Winner of Game-2 – 4:30 p.m.

DIVISION 2

Semifinals: Thursday, Nov. 1
Game-1:  #1 Cedarburg (15-2-2) vs. #4 New Berlin Eisenhower (16-3-1) – 4:30 p.m.
Game-2:  #2 Oregon (18-2-2) vs. #3 Holmen (22-1-1) – 7 p.m.

Championship Game: Saturday, Nov. 3
Winner of Game-1 vs. Winner of Game-2 – 1:30 p.m.

DIVISION 3

Semifinals: Thursday, Nov. 1
Game-1:  #1 McFarland (18-4) vs. #4 Plymouth (14-4-5) – 11 a.m.
Game-2:  #2 Pius XI Catholic (20-3-2) vs. #3 Baldwin-Woodville (20-0-2) – 1:30 p.m.

Championship Game: Saturday, Nov. 3
Winner of Game-1 vs. Winner of Game-2 – 11 a.m.

DIVISION 4

Local Notes:

-New Richmond beat River Falls in D2 Regional Finals but lost to Holmen in the next round.

-Rice Lake lost to Baldwin-Woodville in the Sectional Finals to make it to State.  Baldwin-Woodville has an all state player planning to play D1 College soccer and a real shot to win the it all.

-Regis had a tough draw losing in the first round to Amery who qualified for State in D4.

-Watch out for Oregon in D2.  A real chance to win State.  Best team I saw play this year.   We played them tough, losing 2-0, but they looked really good!!

-Can GB Preble make it to the State Finals.  Can Sun Prairie shock the world and take down Marquette looking for their 5th Straight State title.  Yes, you heard that right, 5th straight. That’s just dumb.  Mini-rant now over!

Planning a Premier League update in the next few days, so check back in.  Now that I have fully recovered from the Memorial loss, I will get back to regular updates.  Check back in a spread the word about West Wisconsin Soccer Talk.

Thanks for checking us out!!

So let me first say I missed the game.  Not knowing the playoff schedule months ago, the family scheduled a trip to Madison for homecoming, a Badger game and some “Cooper time”.  The game ended up a blow out win, so that was nice.  The weather, well that was not so nice, a blizzard broke out in the first half and with the score pretty lopsided, our only goal was could we make it to “Jump Around” to start the 4th quarter.  We made it…..just barely.

But I have to also say, I had a different game on my mind.  My mind kept drifting to the Memorial playoff game starting at 1:00.   Could we get hot and make a deep run into the playoffs.  This year Memorial was not a dominant team ranked in the Top 10, but they have lots of talent, and enough senior leadership that anything is possible.

So, sitting at the Badger game, and just thinking about the Abes.  I had planned to text for updates but decided against it.  I know the emotion of the playoffs and did not want to distract any of the parents.  I have a few people who I rely on for updates but it just didn’t feel right to bug them.  And then my mind started to wander……how are they doing….I wonder what the score is…..if no one is texting me is that good….if no one is texting me is that bad….why isn’t anyone texting me!

So around 3:00, I start checking the WIAA website for updates, but there is no update.  Plenty of 1:00 games have ended and the scores are posted, but nothing on Memorial.  Starting to get anxious and start checking the site every few minutes.  Nothing.  I mention it to Kathy.  She decides to check.  After 4:00 now, so there must be a final.  My instincts are not good, feel like I would have heard if it was good news.  Kathy connects with a Memorial soccer supporter for an update.  I walk into the room as she is on he call and initially I think it’s good news, Kathy is smiling and the call seems energetic…..I get a bit excited.

But it was not meant to be, the news is not good, the energy is from the caller explaining the intensity of the game, the unbelievable finish, the craziness of two red cards, the amazing comeback from down 2 goals and down a player and a coach, the almost beat them anyway feeling, but eventually just the gut wrenching loss, the heartbreak of coming up just short.  Plenty of tears were shed I am pretty sure.  From players and parents.

A few thoughts.

-It must have been an unbelievable emotional roller coaster.  Memorial takes an early 1-0 lead at the 10 minute mark.  Emotions riding high.  Our defense has been strong all year.  Appleton responds to tie it up at 28 minutes.  Appleton takes the lead on a PK.   Appleton scores in 45th minute. Really disappointed, from up 1 to down 2 in the final 17 minutes of the half.

-Frustrations likely hit their peak in the first 3 minutes of the second half.  I can only imagine.  Within the span of a few minutes you have a player sent off on a red card after picking up his second yellow.  You are down 2 goals and down to 10 players and you feel like it can’t get any worse than this, there is nothing else that can go wrong, no possible way…….but then is goes a bit crazier.  The ref calls a second yellow on the bench and your head coach is red carded and is forced to leave the game.  What!   The emotional roller coaster just hit bottom.  Oh man!

-Bench Yellow’s are always interesting. Is the coach frustrated and not getting any calls.  Is a coach trying to protect his players.  Is a coach just looking to make sure the next calls go their way.   It’s a big game, emotions are riding high.  There are yellows and PK’s and you must expect the coaches are going to get a little animated. Coach out.  Crazy..

-The comeback.  So there are a few directions a game can go when the head coach is ejected.  It can go South quickly.  The team can fall apart, blame the refs, blame each other and never recover.  Or the team can use the moment to come together, find some resolve,  and double their effort to honor their coach.  That’s what I love about Memorial soccer.  The tradition, the talent, the coaching, the support….all combine to make the Abes a program that fights.  And that’s what they did.  They score just a few minutes after the red card. 3-2 and a flicker of hope.  Their game actually improves playing down a man.  They are playing free and loose and really start to control the game.  Shots are coming.  They look dangerous.  And then at 81 minutes, it happens, Memorial catches a break and has their own PK.  Mitch Brenner who has scored the first two goals, calmly buries the PK for a hat trick. The emotional roller coaster is racing down the steep hill and your hands are in the air and you are screaming.  Oh my.  3-3 and 9 minutes to go.  Fans and parents are fully drained at this point.  Emotions are zapped.  The nerves are shot. You have nothing left to give.

-9 more minutes and 2 overtime’s of sit on the edge of your seat, a goal ends this game emotion.  Memorial has chances to end it.  But a game like this can really only end one way, a PK shootout.  And not your run of the mill, exciting, everyday type shootout, no, this game needed something more.  It needed the longest PK shootout likely in Memorial soccer history,  not sure there are any stats on this one, but coach Eric Wirth mentioned he never remembered one longer and he has been a player or coach since the early 2000’s.  I don’t either.  12 deep.  That is just crazy.  Not sure if Memorial had chances to win at any point.  I know from the paper that there were a few moments where they might lose on the next kick.  Emotions drained but likely the nerves were tingling, anxiety everywhere.  Hold your breath and pray anxiety. You feel like you just watched 10 scary movies.

-I wish I had the PK recap….it finished at 10-9 in the 12th round.  I am not sure what happens after everyone on the field shoots.  Did Memorial have players start taking their second PK of the shootout?  I don’t know that rule.  Never thought I would need to know that rule. But eventually it has to end.  PK endings are cruel.  12 round PK endings are brutal.  I just can’t imagine at the end even being able to breathe or stand up.  Parents must have been completely drained.  Can you imagine being the parent of a GK.  It takes a special person. No way.  I love Tyler Hanson and would not want anyone else in goal for my team.  The pressure on shooters is immense.  Can you imagine stepping up to take the kick in the 10th-11th-or 12th round of the shootout.  My legs would not have worked, but these kids just do it. Amazing!

-And then it is over.  Appleton celebrating an epic victory.  Memorial players collapsing and devastated, Memorial parents likely just sad.  They are hurting for their kids.  It is just so final for the seniors and parents of seniors.  It’s over.  No more games.  I remember last year at state and just feeling empty for awhile.  But as well, feeling really proud.  I hope that is the lasting feeling.  Being really proud that the boys were able to overcome, fight back to tie and battle to the end. Epic for sure. Just not the good kind!

I wish I could hug every player and say Thanks.  Thanks for all your hard work and representing Memorial soccer.  You are part of the family .  My lasting memory from last year and it fits pretty well for this year.  No words, just a hug!

Updated Post

Some Notes on the Game:

-I wasn’t sure how the final shot tally would look, but I knew it would be a big difference.  I was guessing around 20-5 in shots and that was pretty close in Memorials favor.  I could not remember a shot on goal in the second half for North.  A few long free kicks which can be dangerous, but Memorial really locked down the game in the second half.

-The goal with 4 seconds to go in the half by North was a gut punch and could have been a huge momentum swing.  Coming out for the second half, North was loud.  I am guessing full of confidence and ready for the upset.  Memorial never let them get going.  The shots started coming in the first few minutes and never stopped the entire half.  I think around 15 shots in the second half.  That’s a bunch.

-In the 2nd game of the season, the North Midfield really played well.  They created a ton of counter attack opportunities and moved the ball into space consistently.  Not on Tuesday.  Memorial seemed aware of this and kept the potent duo of Podolak and Xiong under control all night.

-Unsung hero: Ryder Woodworth.  Part of the reason Podolak and Xiong were not as dangerous was Woodworth.  His tracking and midfield play helped stabilize things for the Abes.  As well, I must point out that on the winning goal, Ryder had two key moments.  He wins a ball in Midfield early in the possession and makes a nice over the head kick into the Memorial half.  Almost instantly, North wins back the ball, but Ryder makes a great tackle in Midfield and wins the ball back.  His two midfield wins allow Rosenberger the chance to  make the run into the box, and Peloquin to make the pass into the middle so that Zumwalt can header it home.  It never happens without the midfield play from Woodworth.

Next Game Appleton North

-Appleton North has a solid program and some success in the state tournament back in 2010, getting too the state finals.  The record this year , from what I can find, was 13-4.  Nice win over Arrowhead was the best win I found.  A close loss to Kimberly who is ranked second in our Sectional.  Neenah, ranked in the Top 10 in the state beat them as well.

-One common opponent this year is Middleton.  Memorial tied them 1-1 and Middleton beat Appleton North.  From the games I see and the common opponent, the #5 seeding makes sense.  Memorial on paper is the slight favorite and playing at home makes for a nice advantage as well.  If they both play their best, Memorial should find a way….but as they say….that’s why they play the games.  Go Abes!!

Original Post

Maybe this Rivalry is real.  Another hotly contested game that went to the half tied at 1.  Memorial took control in the second half, controlled possession, dominated in shots all night, and found a game winner.

Lots more to add tomorrow. but I wanted to drop these couple of videos out there tonight for everyone’s viewing pleasure.  A certain someone will enjoy them….starts with an M….ends with chelle….she had a really big smile on her face as the game ended.  Nice!  I love it when good things happen to players who work really hard,  are humble and are great teammates.  I have mentioned several times on the blogs this year that Lucas was due for a big goal.  He had been close many times this year, but it just didn’t happen.  Well, it happened tonight.

Here is a little foreshadowing of the goal later.

And then a crushing blow when North scores with 4 seconds to go in the half.   Nice goal, but tough to give that one up on a set play.

But then this happened.

I will be back tomorrow for some game evaluation, updates on other games and a preview of the Regional Finals on Saturday.

Go Abes.  Shock the World!