MONROE - The Cheesemakers knocked off Sugar River for the first time in school history Thursday, 1-0, thanks to the amazing play of goalkeeper Gail LaVoie.
"This is the best game in goal I've ever played," LaVoie said. "We've never beaten Sugar River before. Ever. This is basically the best day of my life right now. I can't even talk I'm so happy."
Monroe (4-2-1) got its only goal 16 minutes, 37 seconds into the game when Chelsea Haffele got past the defense and Sugar River goalie Natalie Manion and sent the shot into the left corner of the net.
"This is a big win. It's probably a milestone for us, beating them for the first time," Monroe head coach Miriam O'Neill said. "It was a very intense game. We decided to change our defensive lineup a little bit."
Monroe moved all-conference senior defender Alyssa Studer to midfield and Katie Coplien and Chrissy Marti to middle defenders.
"That really worked well," O'Neill said. "They all did a spectacular job. Gail did an amazing job. She was always in the right place. Her communication was fantastic - everybody could hear her. To have that kind of decisive assertiveness from your keeper really makes a difference to your game. It gives confidence to your team."
Haffele's shot was one of just a few by the Cheesemakers, who spent the majority of the game defending Sugar River's top strikers, two-time all-state player Hannah Kernen and Katie Viney.
"It was a very defensive game from our standpoint," O'Neill said. "Martina Leal did a spectacular job of keeping Katie Viney out, and on the other side, McKenzie Bruce did a very nice job on the other side in a new role for her. Kernen and Viney are really extremely good strikers and we marked them up. We gave Katie Coplien that job today and she really stepped up to it. She shut Hannah Kernen down."
The Raiders (6-3) more than doubled Monroe in shots on goal, many shots came off breakaways and corner kicks.
"We're in a little bit of a rut right now. We've just felt like there has been a cap on the goal," Sugar River head coach John Ziperski said. "Monroe came out with a lot of passion. You could tell they really wanted it. Their keeper was organized, smart and quick to the ball. She had some amazing saves. My hats off to Gail."
Both Kernen and Viney had their fare share of shots on goal.
"We just had some opportunities that didn't go our way. It's extremely frustrating to them (Kernen and Viney) because they are high competitive players," Ziperski said. "Some days, that's how soccer goes. The only thing a coach can do is encourage them to keep their heads up."
In the final three minutes, the Raiders pressured LaVoie and Monroe's defense. The Raiders had two free kicks and a corner in the final three minutes alone. One free kick went off the top of the crossbar.
Perhaps the biggest save of the night for LaVoie, who had plenty, came in the final minute as Kernen sent a cross pass through the box to Viney on the left side. Viney's shot in traffic nearly surprised LaVoie, but the Monroe goalkeeper was right there, and the kick, from nearly point blank and within 10 feet of the goal, went right off LaVoie's midsection.
"The team worked really hard. When (Sugar River) did get shots off, I was just there in the way. That's what you've got to do," LaVoie said.
Monroe travels to DeForest for Saturday's Norskie Quad while Sugar River heads off to Wisconsin Heights Monday.
"This is the best game in goal I've ever played," LaVoie said. "We've never beaten Sugar River before. Ever. This is basically the best day of my life right now. I can't even talk I'm so happy."
Monroe (4-2-1) got its only goal 16 minutes, 37 seconds into the game when Chelsea Haffele got past the defense and Sugar River goalie Natalie Manion and sent the shot into the left corner of the net.
"This is a big win. It's probably a milestone for us, beating them for the first time," Monroe head coach Miriam O'Neill said. "It was a very intense game. We decided to change our defensive lineup a little bit."
Monroe moved all-conference senior defender Alyssa Studer to midfield and Katie Coplien and Chrissy Marti to middle defenders.
"That really worked well," O'Neill said. "They all did a spectacular job. Gail did an amazing job. She was always in the right place. Her communication was fantastic - everybody could hear her. To have that kind of decisive assertiveness from your keeper really makes a difference to your game. It gives confidence to your team."
Haffele's shot was one of just a few by the Cheesemakers, who spent the majority of the game defending Sugar River's top strikers, two-time all-state player Hannah Kernen and Katie Viney.
"It was a very defensive game from our standpoint," O'Neill said. "Martina Leal did a spectacular job of keeping Katie Viney out, and on the other side, McKenzie Bruce did a very nice job on the other side in a new role for her. Kernen and Viney are really extremely good strikers and we marked them up. We gave Katie Coplien that job today and she really stepped up to it. She shut Hannah Kernen down."
The Raiders (6-3) more than doubled Monroe in shots on goal, many shots came off breakaways and corner kicks.
"We're in a little bit of a rut right now. We've just felt like there has been a cap on the goal," Sugar River head coach John Ziperski said. "Monroe came out with a lot of passion. You could tell they really wanted it. Their keeper was organized, smart and quick to the ball. She had some amazing saves. My hats off to Gail."
Both Kernen and Viney had their fare share of shots on goal.
"We just had some opportunities that didn't go our way. It's extremely frustrating to them (Kernen and Viney) because they are high competitive players," Ziperski said. "Some days, that's how soccer goes. The only thing a coach can do is encourage them to keep their heads up."
In the final three minutes, the Raiders pressured LaVoie and Monroe's defense. The Raiders had two free kicks and a corner in the final three minutes alone. One free kick went off the top of the crossbar.
Perhaps the biggest save of the night for LaVoie, who had plenty, came in the final minute as Kernen sent a cross pass through the box to Viney on the left side. Viney's shot in traffic nearly surprised LaVoie, but the Monroe goalkeeper was right there, and the kick, from nearly point blank and within 10 feet of the goal, went right off LaVoie's midsection.
"The team worked really hard. When (Sugar River) did get shots off, I was just there in the way. That's what you've got to do," LaVoie said.
Monroe travels to DeForest for Saturday's Norskie Quad while Sugar River heads off to Wisconsin Heights Monday.
