MADISON - For the Sugar River Raiders girls soccer team, this was considered "the year."
The Raiders returned 15 players from last year's squad, including 11 seniors, and went into Thursday's WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal against Madison Edgewood with a 22-1-1 overall record and a No. 4 ranking in the WSCA Coaches Poll. Hannah Kernen, an all-state player in each of her first three years with the program and likely will be again this season, and Katie Viney, combined for 54 goals this year and 58 in 2010.
But record and experience be damned when facing the Crusaders (14-2-6, ranked No. 3). For the second straight year Sugar River lost to Edgewood by just one goal, this time 1-0.
"This was the year. If we were going to do it, this was the year," Raiders coach John Ziperski said of beating Edgewood and making a run to state. "(Edgewood) played a direct and quick style. We're a little more accustomed to an on-the-ground kind of a game, whereas they played well out of the air."
Edgewood's size, physicality, speed and passing had Sugar River on its heels from the beginning.
"Their main thing is passing really fast, connecting really well and their speed of play is so fast. I give them credit for that," said Kernen, who finished her season sixth in the state in points (91) and goals (37). "It's different for us. In our conference we are usually the more physical team."
The Crusaders continually double- and triple-teamed Kernen in the middle of the field, and when the ball did break free, Viney and the other Raiders were bumped hard in a fight for possession.
"It was kind of rough. I've never played against anyone that big," said Viney, a generously listed 5-foot-3 forward who was repeatedly bounced around by girls who were taller by 6 inches or more. "I just went low and turned, but they were always just there with a back-up of three defenders."
Viney said that although the Raiders worked on a few different ways to slow down or defeat Edgewood, the Crusaders still finished as the team moving on.
"We worked in practice on watching their crossing. I think we did pretty well with that because we shut them down a lot. But, it just didn't go for us," Viney said.
Edgewood's goal came with 21 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first half, and the Raiders continued putting pressure on Raiders goalkeeper Natalie Manion, who had 11 saves.
Sugar River had a tough time mounting any offense. The Raiders had only a handful of free or corner kicks, but only a small percentage of each were a cause of concern for Edgewood goalie Molly Meriggioli.
"Any other night I believe our direct kicks are where our strong game is. Tonight we wasted a couple of those," Ziperski said. "Maybe another night we have a little more success."
Mackenzie Christensen, who had a 50-yard goal on a free kick in the regional title win over Mount Horeb Saturday, sent two free kicks from inside the box into no-man's-land behind the goal, and had two corner kicks go out of bounds.
"We can't crack (Edgewood), at least not this year," Ziperski said. "Not tonight, but maybe another night. We gave it our all. The girls did a great job, they had a great season. It was a success."
Kernen took one free kick from the corner of the box and Meriggioli made a full-extension save. Meriggioli made a leaping save moments later when the Raiders tried to score on a rebound.
But the season ends for Sugar River, which means the seniors who have been playing together for the better part of the last six years will no longer share the field.
"These four years - playing with these teammates, and our support from our fans. How many of them were out there screaming for us? And our chemistry and having fun all together, I'll miss that," Kernen said. "It's hard. We have so many seniors out here. It sucks because we gave it our all. But there's nothing else we can do."
Four Raiders will move on to play in college. Kernen will head to UW-Green Bay on a scholarship while Viney will attend UW-Platteville.
"I think for the four of us playing in college we're just holding our heads high. But it will hit me later," said Viney, who began to tear up. "It's really sad. I don't know how much they (those not continuing playing) will feel it ... I think they will miss the chemistry as a team."
"There are big shoes to fill," Ziperski said. "You can't replace this (senior) class. You can just hope that they've passed on a lot of things. This is a class I've been coaching since seventh grade. Now we just go back to the youth groups and start building the next great team. We'll be back."
The Raiders returned 15 players from last year's squad, including 11 seniors, and went into Thursday's WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal against Madison Edgewood with a 22-1-1 overall record and a No. 4 ranking in the WSCA Coaches Poll. Hannah Kernen, an all-state player in each of her first three years with the program and likely will be again this season, and Katie Viney, combined for 54 goals this year and 58 in 2010.
But record and experience be damned when facing the Crusaders (14-2-6, ranked No. 3). For the second straight year Sugar River lost to Edgewood by just one goal, this time 1-0.
"This was the year. If we were going to do it, this was the year," Raiders coach John Ziperski said of beating Edgewood and making a run to state. "(Edgewood) played a direct and quick style. We're a little more accustomed to an on-the-ground kind of a game, whereas they played well out of the air."
Edgewood's size, physicality, speed and passing had Sugar River on its heels from the beginning.
"Their main thing is passing really fast, connecting really well and their speed of play is so fast. I give them credit for that," said Kernen, who finished her season sixth in the state in points (91) and goals (37). "It's different for us. In our conference we are usually the more physical team."
The Crusaders continually double- and triple-teamed Kernen in the middle of the field, and when the ball did break free, Viney and the other Raiders were bumped hard in a fight for possession.
"It was kind of rough. I've never played against anyone that big," said Viney, a generously listed 5-foot-3 forward who was repeatedly bounced around by girls who were taller by 6 inches or more. "I just went low and turned, but they were always just there with a back-up of three defenders."
Viney said that although the Raiders worked on a few different ways to slow down or defeat Edgewood, the Crusaders still finished as the team moving on.
"We worked in practice on watching their crossing. I think we did pretty well with that because we shut them down a lot. But, it just didn't go for us," Viney said.
Edgewood's goal came with 21 minutes, 53 seconds left in the first half, and the Raiders continued putting pressure on Raiders goalkeeper Natalie Manion, who had 11 saves.
Sugar River had a tough time mounting any offense. The Raiders had only a handful of free or corner kicks, but only a small percentage of each were a cause of concern for Edgewood goalie Molly Meriggioli.
"Any other night I believe our direct kicks are where our strong game is. Tonight we wasted a couple of those," Ziperski said. "Maybe another night we have a little more success."
Mackenzie Christensen, who had a 50-yard goal on a free kick in the regional title win over Mount Horeb Saturday, sent two free kicks from inside the box into no-man's-land behind the goal, and had two corner kicks go out of bounds.
"We can't crack (Edgewood), at least not this year," Ziperski said. "Not tonight, but maybe another night. We gave it our all. The girls did a great job, they had a great season. It was a success."
Kernen took one free kick from the corner of the box and Meriggioli made a full-extension save. Meriggioli made a leaping save moments later when the Raiders tried to score on a rebound.
But the season ends for Sugar River, which means the seniors who have been playing together for the better part of the last six years will no longer share the field.
"These four years - playing with these teammates, and our support from our fans. How many of them were out there screaming for us? And our chemistry and having fun all together, I'll miss that," Kernen said. "It's hard. We have so many seniors out here. It sucks because we gave it our all. But there's nothing else we can do."
Four Raiders will move on to play in college. Kernen will head to UW-Green Bay on a scholarship while Viney will attend UW-Platteville.
"I think for the four of us playing in college we're just holding our heads high. But it will hit me later," said Viney, who began to tear up. "It's really sad. I don't know how much they (those not continuing playing) will feel it ... I think they will miss the chemistry as a team."
"There are big shoes to fill," Ziperski said. "You can't replace this (senior) class. You can just hope that they've passed on a lot of things. This is a class I've been coaching since seventh grade. Now we just go back to the youth groups and start building the next great team. We'll be back."
