MONROE - Every year, Green County's two soccer teams, Monroe and Sugar River, play a physical rivalry game. Often, it seems, it's the Raiders that come out on top.
Thursday afternoon, it was Monroe's turn, as the Cheesemakers used two first half goals to upend their Highway 69 rival.
"(Sugar River) came out and really wanted to beat us. They almost always win," Monroe head coach Tony Stamm said. "But this will be great when it comes to seeding because they are in the same division as we are."
The game started slow, with neither team controlling the ball in position for more than a few seconds. Midway through the first, that all changed as Monroe's Kelli Isaj got in the middle of the box and sent a shot passed Raiders goalkeeper Eric Liegel to put the Cheesemakers up 1-0, 20 minutes, 6 seconds into the game.
"We were playing hard, placed the ball and then scored," Isaj said.
Just four minutes later, at 24:23, Michael Gross dribbled through Sugar River's defense, sending a pass to Godi Brandli, who sent the one-timer into the net.
"(Sugar River) knows our team quite well, and they knew we like to score on the deep ball, which is what we normally go for," Stamm said. "But we have been working on our passing and dribbling through the defense, and we took advantage of that."
Both teams missed numerous opportunities to score again before the end of the half. However, with the two goals on the board, Cheesemaker goalie Jordan Steurer felt comfortable having a two-goal lead with 40 minutes to play.
"It was great to have those two insurance goals. (Sugar River is) a great team," said Steurer, who had nine saves. "It's great to know that your team is ahead and taking it to them."
Sugar River had to figure out a way to score.
"In the second half, the boys remembered not to think to hard and to win the battle of the ball," Raiders head coach Matt Belknap said. "I have total confidence in this team to be able to beat any team in the area."
Just moments into the second half, Raiders junior Jon Fox took a pass from Otto Kienitz and put a shot passed the reach of Steurer, putting Sugar River on the board.
"Jon Fox is a great player and it's hard to stop the ball when he has it," Steurer said.
Just as the Raiders picked up the momentum, the physicality of the game picked up. First, Isaj went down with an injury in the 52nd minute. Less than two minutes later, Fox went down.
"It was aggravating. I wanted to go in really bad, but I couldn't," Fox said.
Fox, who injured his knee, was shelved for the rest of the game.
"Having Jon out in the second half just gave us a chance to show what kind of a team we have. Some of our reserve players played he best half of their lives," Belknap said.
Despite the injury to Fox, the Raiders play picked up, and the physical play of the game - bumping, shoving, hard slides - picked up. In the scrum of it all, Monroe reverted back to its deep ball offense. Either the Cheesemakers would be called for an offsides or Liegel would make a spectacular save facing one-on-one from striker Andrew Aurit, Lucas Goetz or Isaj.
"I was trying to not let them make a move on me and hope for the best," said Liegel, who had 11 saves.
A year after losing, 1-0, Monroe finally had its win, and county bragging rights.
"(Sugar River is) a well coached and competitive team. Things got physical once again," Stamm said.
Thursday afternoon, it was Monroe's turn, as the Cheesemakers used two first half goals to upend their Highway 69 rival.
"(Sugar River) came out and really wanted to beat us. They almost always win," Monroe head coach Tony Stamm said. "But this will be great when it comes to seeding because they are in the same division as we are."
The game started slow, with neither team controlling the ball in position for more than a few seconds. Midway through the first, that all changed as Monroe's Kelli Isaj got in the middle of the box and sent a shot passed Raiders goalkeeper Eric Liegel to put the Cheesemakers up 1-0, 20 minutes, 6 seconds into the game.
"We were playing hard, placed the ball and then scored," Isaj said.
Just four minutes later, at 24:23, Michael Gross dribbled through Sugar River's defense, sending a pass to Godi Brandli, who sent the one-timer into the net.
"(Sugar River) knows our team quite well, and they knew we like to score on the deep ball, which is what we normally go for," Stamm said. "But we have been working on our passing and dribbling through the defense, and we took advantage of that."
Both teams missed numerous opportunities to score again before the end of the half. However, with the two goals on the board, Cheesemaker goalie Jordan Steurer felt comfortable having a two-goal lead with 40 minutes to play.
"It was great to have those two insurance goals. (Sugar River is) a great team," said Steurer, who had nine saves. "It's great to know that your team is ahead and taking it to them."
Sugar River had to figure out a way to score.
"In the second half, the boys remembered not to think to hard and to win the battle of the ball," Raiders head coach Matt Belknap said. "I have total confidence in this team to be able to beat any team in the area."
Just moments into the second half, Raiders junior Jon Fox took a pass from Otto Kienitz and put a shot passed the reach of Steurer, putting Sugar River on the board.
"Jon Fox is a great player and it's hard to stop the ball when he has it," Steurer said.
Just as the Raiders picked up the momentum, the physicality of the game picked up. First, Isaj went down with an injury in the 52nd minute. Less than two minutes later, Fox went down.
"It was aggravating. I wanted to go in really bad, but I couldn't," Fox said.
Fox, who injured his knee, was shelved for the rest of the game.
"Having Jon out in the second half just gave us a chance to show what kind of a team we have. Some of our reserve players played he best half of their lives," Belknap said.
Despite the injury to Fox, the Raiders play picked up, and the physical play of the game - bumping, shoving, hard slides - picked up. In the scrum of it all, Monroe reverted back to its deep ball offense. Either the Cheesemakers would be called for an offsides or Liegel would make a spectacular save facing one-on-one from striker Andrew Aurit, Lucas Goetz or Isaj.
"I was trying to not let them make a move on me and hope for the best," said Liegel, who had 11 saves.
A year after losing, 1-0, Monroe finally had its win, and county bragging rights.
"(Sugar River is) a well coached and competitive team. Things got physical once again," Stamm said.
