FINAL in WIAA state quarterfinal: Notre Dame 2, Pewaukee 1.
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The game comes to the end at muddy Uihlein Park. The Pirates had a 1-0 lead at halftime, but surrendered the lead early in the second half and fall on an own goal in the final minutes. Nothing hurts more in soccer than a loss of that variety.
Still, you have to credit the Pirates. They stood toe-to-toe with the defending state champions, and had chances to win this match. They finish the year 14-6-2, appearing in the state tournament for the first time.
It's kind of a cautious celebration for Notre Dame for a couple reasons, I imagine. One -- they know they're not finished. They have a state title rematch from last year against Catholic Memorial tomorrow, and I'm sure CMH will be out to atone. Also, it's got to feel odd when you're the winner based on a very fortuitous break. I think Notre Dame possessed a little more than PHS, but it was a great match otherwise.
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I feel really bad for Mike Wedeward. The Pirates knew immediately the gravity of the score -- a couple fell to their knees as if they had just allowed an overtime game-winner. The play was so awkward and kind of hard to see through the windows. It looked like an "ole" play similar to a fielder one-arming a short hop in baseball, only to have it skip by. In this case, it took a hop off the keeper and redirected into the net.
PHS' season is about to end.
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NOTRE DAME TAKES THE LEAD
Unbelievable. Sullivan struck a cross at 77:22, and Wedeward tried to play it on a funny bounce -- it was headed out of bounds -- but it hit off the keeper's arm and into the back of the net. It will get called as an own goal. A heartbreaking turn of events for the Pirates.
Notre Dame 2, Pewaukee 1, 3 minutes to play.
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In the 74th minute, PHS appeared to get away with a foul in the box -- the call wound up going against Notre Dame, which was not approved by Notre Dame's fan base. It would have been a penalty kick had it gone against PHS.
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Pewaukee gets a corner kick -- though it's even hard to tell what the official is ruling as the windows ooze with precipitation -- but it's gotten to the point where the footing is too bad to get too much loft.
It was still an excellent ball by Weisemann, but Panagopoulos couldn't quite out-sky the keeper with the header. It's caught and returned upfield.
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Weisemann gets the best shot PHS has had in a while, a liner from the top of the box caught by the keeper. We're in the 70th minute of a tied game.
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It's officially snow.
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I really have no idea which players have the ball. This might be snow, but all I know is the action has turned into an impressionist painting for us in the press box (and I'm not complaining -- we're the lucky ones with a roof).
I can say which team has the ball. Lots of midfield activity since the weather took a major turn for the worse.
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Notre Dame picks Pewaukee's pocket at midfield, and an attempt deflects off Domack out of bounds.
The rain just started coming down in sheets. We may not even be able to see the action through the rain drops smattered all over the window.
Another corner kick for Notre Dame leads to a header attempt, but no goal. An absolute cannon from the top of the box by Marty Thompson is wide right. The clock reads 64:30.
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Sullivan gets lots of breathing room for Notre Dame to approach the 18, but he doesn't take a shot. He finds a teammate in the corner, which leads to an off-the-mark attempt that floats beyond the end line.
Someone just said the Notre Dame coach prefers to coach barefoot -- even in 40 degree and rainy weather. It was a superstition that worked last year when Notre Dame won the state title, so apparently he's reapeating the ritual. He's got to be freezing. He'd feel better if his guys untied the game, I suppose.
Wedeward picks up a bouncing ball, and another Notre Dame attempt is thwarted.
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Zach Schoenike gets a right-footed cross toward the goalkeeper, but no Pirates can get there to finish, and it becomes an easy pick up for Klingert. We've entered the 60th minute -- 20 to play in this WIAA Division 2 semifinal. Still tied at 1.
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The Pirates march down the field on a series of throw ins that get knocked out of bounds by Notre Dame, but one finally deflects off the Pirates, and Tritons take the ball back. Lots of slipping and sliding -- hard for players to keep their footing.
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Two Notre Dame players had attempts at a cross by 16 in front of the box, and both whiffed. The Pirates surrender another long shot ... Wedeward goes up and has the ball skip off his fingertips. Scary situation for the Pirates, but they still get the ball cleared. Slippery conditions could lead to some awkard scoring chances. Pirates dodged a couple major bullets there.
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Goal kick for Wedeward, 53rd minute. Game goes to 80. Meka takes the boot and the ball bounces around before Ribeiro gets hit with another final that could have gone either way. The Tritons best player has not gotten a call all day.
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Santaga gets inside the 6, but gets tangled up with Pewaukee defenders therein and loses the ball. Wedeward lunges forward on a shot from the outside.
Clock stops momentarily as Collin Linsmeier comes up limping. He comes out of the game. Ribeiro gets some freedom from outside the 18, but he gets whistled for an unpopular handball after a deflection off a Pewaukee player.
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A smooth cross from Notre Dame through the top part of the box narrowly skips away, but the Tritons have asserted themselves on offense again. The teams are even with 3 shots each, so it still looks fairly equal on paper. It is equal on the scoreboard, knotted at 1.
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NOTRE DAME TIES THE GAME
At 43:08, Pewaukee allows the equalizer. Ribeiro lofts a ball from the right side horizontally in front of the net, over the head of Wedeward. The ball gets stuck in front with a mess of bodies, and Bryan Sullivan gets a perfectly clean shot. He drills it right to the back of the net, getting an unassisted goal.
We're tied.
Pewaukee 1, Notre Dame 1.
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Alex Kropp gets in the way of a Collin Linsmeier's shot, which comes after some combinational work down the field. Pewaukee still driving with the ball as the first couple minutes of the second half trickle off the clock.
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Even though Republica's song "Ready to Go" hasn't been popular since I was in high school, somehow it always gets played over the Uihlein Park soundsystem during the state soccer tournament.
I'm super, super grateful to be indoors right now. It's a little chilly up here, but we're not getting sleeted on like the brave souls in the stands.
Just about set for second half. Pewaukee looking to score the upset.
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Major drama to close the first half. It seemed like everyone packed it in for halftime, as the public address announcer began to rattle off the final 10 seconds in a countdown. But Panagopoulos broke free for a one-on-one with the keeper, and he rocketed a shot as the final second was called out. It looked like it found the back of the net from here, and we were immediately looking to see if the goal had made the net in time. Turns out it was just wide and hit the side of the net, so the point is moot. Still, the Pirates have a lead at half.
Pewaukee 1, Notre Dame 0, halftime.
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Linsmeier just absorbed a foul from Notre Dame, leading to a setup from midfield that ultimately gets cleared back by the Tritons.
Ribeiro gets knocked down and again gets no call.
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The Pirates haven't really had an interesting offensive opportunity since scoring the goal, but I imagine by now, they're trying to kill the last 2:30 of this first half and roll into halftime with an edge.
Ribeiro just got hit with a foul against Panagopolous -- the Notre Dame standout didn't get a call he feel he deserved and retaliated a bit. That leads to a free kick from 35 yards out.
Czerwinski takes it, and Klingert makes a diving stop. Big save for the Tritons.
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Debbink disrupts a shot that appeared to have some daylight, and it goes wide left post for a corner kick. Benes steps to the corner for Notre Dame, and it's a liner that deflects away. ND still has possession in the Pewaukee end, but on the next out-of-bounds, the ball goes back to the Pirates. The official word is sleet.
The clock reads 36:10. 1-0 PHS.
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Someone just said it's snowing in Madison. It's on its way, folks.
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32nd minute, and Notre Dame continues to pressure the goal, but Pewaukee's defense continues to keep Wedeward from facing the brunt of a shot. Raindrops have started falling, so it could get messy. Definitely favors the team that's leading, which is Pewaukee at this point.
Sternke gets kicked in the head -- ouch -- but doesn't get the foul call. He's fine, though he's rubbing the back of his head.
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PEWAUKEE SCORES
Marty Gostisha finds an opening and kicks a chip past the goalkeeper, unassisted, in the 28th minute. It trickles slowly into the net, beyond the defender who tried to clean it up. Pewaukee has a 1-0 lead.
I said Ribeiro was one of the most dominant scoring threats in the tournament, and he's showing it. Pewaukee's defense cuts in front just before he can get a shot off deep in the box, leading to a fruitless Notre Dame corner. Wedeward ultimately ends up picking up the ball, leading to Pewaukee's possession.
Pewaukee 1, Notre Dame 0. 27:54
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Ribeiro just took a blast from 30 yards out, a canon way over the goal and over the bleachers parked on the north end of the field. Headed into the 26th minute, still no score, on the Pewaukee end.
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Joey Grzelak gets in deep past the Pewaukee defense, but Sternke pooches it away before a legitimate threat can be made. The Pirates get a half-hearted shot that drifts past the left post on their next possession. Linsmeier and Schwister, who had checked out, are back in.
Grzelak streaks straight and the goal and gets tangled up. He wanted a foul call, but no dice, and Wedeward picks up the loose ball. Very, very close.
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Panagopoulos creatively maneuvers the ball past his defender and cuts right post with the ball, but the ball gets too far ahead and the keeper gets to it. We're in the 21st minute, still no score.
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Ribeiro and Matthew Benes stand behind a ball and prep to free kick midway between the box and the midfield line. It's Ribeiro who takes it, but the wall intercepts and heads it away from a streaking Triton.
Phillip Debbink in for the Pirates.
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Santaga takes a header on a great cross from Patrick Birder but it lofts wide of the left post. Notre Dame has definitely taken control of the ball.
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The lights flicker on, and Notre Dame almost adds to the power surge. Goalkeeper Mike Wedeward made a sliding stab of a ball crossing toward him from his left, and he secures possession to prevent the striker from getting a second shot. First real save of the game belongs to Pewaukee in the 14th minute.
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The Tritons put together their first good offensive possession, and PHS does well to keep it from getting beyond the outer perimeter of the box. Notre Dame winds up with a corner kick out of it, but Ribeiro is slapped with a foul when he tries to stick his head into the mix. Pewaukee clears.
Probably affected by the breeze, a long play into the box by Notre Dame on the ensuing possession misses the head of a Triton and Sternke clears. Marty Gostisha checks in for the Pirates.
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A hard foul gives the Pirates a free kick in the 9th minute, but Notre Dame heads it free and clears it out of bounds. All the good opportunities have belonged to PHS, and Aaron Domack throws it back in as the Pirates resume their strike. Czerwinski sends a long ball toward the goal mouth, but right at Klingert, and the teams switch fields.
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Panagopoulos harasses Notre Dame standout goalkeep Tony Klingert, chasing after a ball that Klingert was pursuing in the corner, but it winds up as a goalkick after crossing the end line. Notre Dame pushes it into the PHS half of the field -- so far the Pirates have held the ball.
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I'm learning one thing about blogging soccer -- there really isn't much to say, at least not yet. As I write, we're in the Pewaukee end, with a trhow in, but Notre Dame clears after the toss vaults over the head of Panagopoulis in front of the goal.
They've changed the layout of the ifeld a little bit -- no longer do you enter on the West side of the field, so the walk from the parking lot is extra long. Maybe they'll open that side of the field back up for the finals matches tomorrow, but all fans are pushed to the east side of the stadium.
Corner kick from PHS' Weissemann is the first of the game for either team, but no offensive chance comes from it. Still scoreless in the 5th minute.
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We're off! Pewaukee is wearing their black road jerseys, and Notre Dame wears white -- we'll see just HOW white when the rains come and this field turns into a mud pit.
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In the other semifinal, Catholic Memorial poured it on against Dodgeville/Mineral Point, 4-0. The Crusaders will meet the winner of this game in tomorrow's state final.
Starters for Pewaukee in this first-ever PHS state tournament game are Collin Linsmeier, Luke Weisemann, Ryan Schwister, Jake Meka, Matthew Sternke, Aaron Domack, Geordin Panagopoulos, Dave Czerwinski, David Reese, Austin Klemm, Mike Wedeward.
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Ew, Cubs gear. I see a Cubs wool knit cap down there among the spectators, who are doing the best they can to stay warm. Inclement weather conditions are no excuse for supporting the enemy baseball team. But man, it is chilly.
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The weather is certainly frightful. The temperature has dropped into the low 40s and upper 30s in Milwaukee as of kickoff, and the report in the press box is a call for rain showers starting any minute. It gets better -- the rain will turn to snow shortly thereafter. The weather report calls for about an inch of accumulation, so this could be an interesting contest to say the least.
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The WIAA Division 2 semifinal will kick off at 2 p.m., with PHS making its first trip to Uihlein Park in Milwaukee. They'll face off with Green Bay Notre Dame, the defending champs and powerhouse in the state soccer scene.
The Tritons are 22-3-2 this season, including a 13-1 record in the Fox River Classic Conference, good for first place. Their losses came against Germantown, Ashwaubenon and Fond du Lac, with ties against DePere and Madison West. The Tritons obliterated their foes in the playoffs, outscoring four opponents, 17-1.
Notre Dame senior Andrew Rebeiro stands as the player to watch, with 25 goals and 10 assists tying him for the best output of any player in the D2 field. Junior Anthony Santega is the team's secondary option, with 12 goals and 8 assists. The defense, however, is astounding. They've allowed only 12 goals ALL YEAR, logging 15 shutouts along the way. Keeper Tony Klingert is the centerpiece of that effort.
The Pirates, meanwhile, are a bit of an underdog story at 14-5-2, taking fifth place in the Woodland Conference this year. They still had the top seed in the sectional, however, and defeated Mt. Horeb in the final, 3-1. Anything can happen in soccer -- we saw Thomas More win a state title with a pedestrian 16-10 record two years ago. That was Division 3, but also the Woodland Conference.
The Pirates defense has not been regarded as the team's strength, but they've only allowed one goal in the last five games, and that came in the sectional final. Ryan Schwister (43 points) and Geordin Panagopoulos (34) do the bulk of the scoring, and Luke Weisemann, David Czerwinski, Phillip Debbink and Collin Linsmeier all have double-digit points this season. Goalkeeper Mike Wedeward has 11 shutouts to his credit. The Pirates have scored four or more goals in seven matches this year.
Check back for updates!