KHS SPORTS

KHS SOCCER from page 1 At halftime with a 2-0 lead, the team was very cautiously optimistic as they reflected on their comeback victory in last season’s Regional Final over host Fox Valley Lutheran when they were able to come back from a 2-0 halftime deficit.

Even Daley verbalized what they all were thinking, “A 2-0 lead is the most dangerous lead to have in all of sports.” This proved to be true as a tough Marinette side earned a penalty kick from a handball in the box just seven-and-a-half minutes into the second half. They were able to convert and cut the lead in half. Kewaskum wasn’t nearly as technical in the second half with their opponents playing with new found gusto after cutting the lead in half. A tense next 15 minutes had both teams trying to solve the other team’s defensive schemes with long balls over the top and long crosses. Neither team was able to generate any real quality chance to even the score or extend the lead. Kewaskum was gifted a corner kick from a badly played ball by the defense. Ever the opportunist, Gambino fired in a low-curving strike from the corner right at the defender that was charged with guarding that area who had stepped out of the goal and straight into the path of the corner kick and redirected it into his own net for a goal.

Understandably so, the visiting Marines were disappointed but never gave up.

Continuing to push up and try to get back into the game, they fought the whole way. Kewaskum’s defense proved to be too much for them. The hope of a cruise to an easy victory did not come to be with a real battle from their opponents. None the less, the Kewaskum Indians are moving on to the Regional Finals for the second straight season.

at Xavier

The Kewaskum boys’ soccer team traveled up to Xavier High School for the possibility of a second straight Regional Championship on Saturday, Oct. 26. After defeating Green Bay West, the number two seed, Xavier Hawks, advanced to the Regional Final match to face the visiting number seven seed, Kewaskum Indians, after their victory over the Marinette Marines.

Xavier had a good season with a number higher division opponents which earned them a second seed in the Sectional. As the host and the favorites, Xavier came out with some intensity that may have caught the slow starting Indians a little off guard.

The defensive back four of David Brown, Oliver Grover, Will Haydin, and Braydin Gell were able to keep enough of their cool to not allow the Hawks in too deep and get any wide-open shots off at the goal, which was tended by senior goalkeeper Riley Kuehl.

There were shots generated but all from distance that either had Kuehl handling with little concern or strayed wide or over the target. A tremendously even half saw both teams trying to establish some sort of offensive rhythm but both defenses proved to be up to the task.

After a tough fought game on Thursday, the Indians team appeared to show some signs of fatigue in areas that they normally dominate and like to exploit. An illness throughout the week worked its way through the squad as well, most likely contributing to some heavy legs.

As the half progressed, Xavier really seemed to pack the interior midfield, clogging those areas, not allowing the Indians to counter-attack through the middle to start and then sending the ball out wide to exploit the teams’ athletic wingers. The team was frustrated with how the game was playing out as they are accustomed, particularly in their recent games, to controlling the ball possession and pace of play.

Xavier had appeared to have done their research on the visiting Kewaskum team and was executing their game plan.

A 0-0 halftime score seemed a little bit like a win for the Indians and hopefully motivated them to force the game in their favor in the second half.

Right out of the gate in the second half, Kewaskum turned their play around from sending the ball long and into defended space or trying to maintain possession in heavily defended areas and began stretching the field out laterally and playing the ball across the field through switches and diagonal crosses.

It worked as the Indians controlled the second half from pretty much start to finish as Xavier seemed a bit off balance in the back and could get through the defensive presence from the Indians.

Mac Hasse, and the Olla brothers, Luciano and Alessandro, began to take more and more control of the central midfield. This afforded Kewaskum to reload offensively quicker after turnovers and allowed the team the ability to control the pace when they would play the ball out wide. Kewaskum’s chances grew more in quantity and in quality as the keeper for Xavier had to make a few really fine saves to keep his team in the game.

As always, when you start controlling a game more and more, the trick is to not get overly extended and allow opportunities for a counter-attack to expose you. The Indians’ defense, playing one of their best games, if not their best game of the year, thwarted almost every attack from Xavier. This was even after the starting outside backs went out due to injury and were replaced by Blake Staral on the left and Bryce Wildt on the right. Both Staral and Wildt played tremendously with both completing the majority of their passes and Bryce, in particular, completing if not 100% of them darn close to it.

The game continued to be as evenly matched as it could be. As time ticked away, neither team was budging nor did they want to give up a late goal that would end their season. Kewaskum had a heart-stopping moment with three or so minutes left in regulation when a ball that was crossed See CHS SOCCER page 15

Ali Olla is surrounded by Marinette Marines on Thursday night, Oct. 24, during the first-round game in the WIAA boys’ soccer tournament. CLARICE CASE PHOTOS

Charlie Gambino (#11) celebrates with teammates after scoring a goal for the Indians to assist in their 3-1 win over Marinette.

David Brown gets pushed around by the Marinette defender while trying to gain possession of the ball.

Braydin Gell pass the ball back to his team in the center of the field. CHS SOCCER

from page 12 from the outside bounced dangerously through the box in front of the goal that a crashing striker just couldn’t get on the end of. Xavier had their own close call when there was an apparent missed call of a foul in the penalty area. It seemed Kewaskum winger Charlie Gambino had beaten the left back of Xavier and had his legs taken out from under him by the defender.

The worst thing for a coach’s nerves - overtime. Two 20 minute overtime halves would be played to decide the outcome. Kewaskum won the toss and continued to attack with the small amount of breeze at their back. Going for the win and continuing to command the possession, it appeared Xavier was playing for the penalty kick portion of overtime after the two halves completed. Kewaskum was not satisfied with that and continued to push that first half of the extra period. Unfortunately, nothing was able to be obtained for the Indians and the teams switched sides.

The second half of overtime was more of the same except Xavier woke up a bit and started to get the ball across half field more and more. Both teams seemed to be wearing down energy wise and neither team could get in deep enough to really scare the other this late. That was until, with less than a minute to go, Xavier launched not one but two shots from about 50 yards out that seemed to hang in the air for an eternity and be headed right under the crossbar of the Indians’ goal.

Fortunately, the senior experience in goal for the Indians had goalkeeper Riley Kuehl wait patiently and hop up to retrieve them before entering the goal. A collective sigh of relief let out when overtime concluded.

Scratch what was said prior, a penalty shootout is the worst thing for the coaches’ nerves. Once again, Kewaskum won the toss and elected to go first. Mac Hasse slotted the first one home. That was matched by Xavier. Ali Olla did the same with one in the left side netting. That goal was matched by Xavier. Charlie Gambino rifled one past the keeper to take a 3-2 lead in the shootout. Xavier sent their third kicker to the line who struck it high and ricocheted off the crossbar for the first miss. Luciano Olla confidently drove home Kewaskum’s fourth goal. Xavier made it 4-3 with a make on their next one. Colton Rabe strode to the penalty spot for the fifth shot.

If it goes in, the Kewaskum Indians are back-toback Regional Champions. It goes in! The bench cleared and the celebration began.

Kewaskum’s composer for the second straight year earned them a second straight trophy.

Congratulations to the Division Three, section two, Regional Champions, the Kewaskum Indians’ boys soccer team!

On to Sectionals where they will face Ripon on Thursday, Oct. 31 in the Sectional Semi-Finals.

David Brown (#10) passes to Mac Hasse (#5).

Eli Steinbauer is wide open during the game against Marinette.