So…a tough weekend for Memorial if you are just focusing on results. Memorial has a strong history of playing the best teams in the state during their non-conference schedule. That trend continued this past weekend as Memorial hosted two traditional powerhouse programs, Oregon and Middleton from the Madison area. Coach Kite has used these non-conference games to prepare his squads for the rigors of the playoffs and to gauge their progress and development. No knock on the Big Rivers….but….you just do not get enough quality games to fully prepare you to go into the playoffs fully prepared. Players need to know how to play in a difficult game against a highly skilled opponent. Games against these teams provide that opportunity for Memorial.
Memorial v. Oregon
As a reminder, Oregon is a quality team, ranked in the Top 10 in Division 2 and a regular in the State Tournament at that level. They were State Runner Up in 2017 against Whitefish Bay. Yes, the same Whitefish Bay team that was ranked in the Top 5 in the USA last year. They return a ton of starters and have 15 Seniors on the team, all 11 starters and the first 4 off the bench are seniors. A very experienced team. They are fast, skilled and possess quality all over the field. I think their quality kind of surprised Memorial a bit. You just do not see a team like this in our league. Preble and Hudson were good, but Oregon looked different. Their attack was dynamic. Their speed and quickness were scary. 5 minutes in to the game and it is 2-0 and maybe could be 3-0. How would Memorial respond. Would they fold up. Would they fight back. Down 2 in 5 minutes is a new experience for all these players. Glad to say they settled down a bit and found their game. If you would have told me after the first 5 minutes the final score would be 2-0, I would not have believed it. No way. After the start I saw, 5-0 or 6-0 was more likely. Credit the Abes for finding their game and settling down to play solid soccer the rest of the way. Clearly, Oregon was on a different level and was in control much of the game. But also clear that Memorial has skill and talent all over the pitch as well. A great opportunity for the team to grow and develop and start believing in themselves and the team. It was a lesson the team needed….be ready from the whistle…be ready for a battle from the first kick. Do not be surprised if Oregon is battling for a State Championship in another month. I have been looking for the score of Hudson v. Oregon, but no luck yet. I will update once I can locate it.
Memorial v. Middleton
I arrived for the last 25 minutes of this contest. A few chats with folks on the sidelines and it was clear that Memorial was playing a solid game. Possession looked good, the defense was holding up well and the team was playing with confidence. Conditions were tough….hot and humid. Quick note: I heard that Middleton beat Hudson on Friday night 4-0. Still trying to confirm, but a sign of the talent of the squad. Memorial got on the board first on a nice bit of combination play between Rosenberger and Brenner. Brenner with a quality finish for the 1-0 lead. That lead held up for most of the game. As we have discussed a few times on the blog, there have been a few games where just 2-3 minutes of play was the difference. This team is not good enough (yet) to absorb any spells of play below par. Late in the contest with a few substitutions forcing different combinations on the field, Middleton got loose on the right-wing and beat the defense with some passing for an attack down the right side of the 18. Inside defense was not able to cover and a dangerous shot from near the corner of the 6 box snuck into the goal on the near post. Tyler Hanson had been solid all day and I saw a few excellent saves and sweeper keeper moves to keep Middleton out of the goal. Unfortunate on the goal, a great effort, but just snuck into the goal on a good shot. From there things got a bit crazy. The last five minutes had plenty of drama and both teams threatened to get the game winning goal. A penalty in the box and a PK gave Memorial a shot to win. A late shot from Zumwalt almost delivered a win. Middleton’s long free kick at the buzzer almost found the net. Whew. A lot of action in the last few minutes. Maybe 1-1 was deserved, but maybe Memorial let one slip away. Another game where we could say they are building some character. Late loss to Hudson was tough. Late tie to Middleton was tough. A few 2-3 minute spells against Preble and Oregon that were the difference. Building Character. It sucks for the players and fans, but in the long run, you hope it provides the experience and growth that will lead to big wins later in the season. Go Abes. Trust the process!
I know Brenner is hurting a bit, but let me say, without him this team is nowhere near their current position. He has been very dynamic and solid all year. For all the fans out there, let me share the following; Ronaldo and Messi, arguable the two best players in thew world, have missed a ton of PK’s. I think 20+ for Ronaldo. A few examples below. It happens. It is not easy. Throw in what felt like a 5 minute delay while the ref talked to the Middelton coach on the sidelines….did he do that intentionally to ice our player….and it even makes the shot more difficult.
Here was a great chance to get the win. Thought Jacob was going to get clear to rip a shot but it did not develop, was blocked (not on the video), but it falls to Zumwalt. Ugh. He has been close all year. It’s coming.
Then, after a free kick that came a bit short, Middelton had a breakout counter attack. An aggressive tackle near midfield shut it down but led to a free kick from distance. It was a bit nervy, the ball ping ponging around and heading toward goal a few times. Hanson with a punch and then the ball looping over the top of the goal. Whew!
Tough weekend, but if the boys stick to the process, a weekend that will pay dividends later in the season.