STOUGHTON — Sugar River recorded its 11th shutout of the season, defeating Stoughton 3-0 on Saturday, May 20. The Raiders received goals from Bella Brenkman, Anya Brenkman and Hannah Boldebuck.
Anya Brenkman scored in the fifth minute to put the Raiders on the board. Stoughton then gained momentum in the 15th minute, sending a shot wide and forcing Addison Lutz to make two saves.
A corner kick from Anya Brekman turned the tide, as her shot reached Jenna Gentilli. Gentilli’s shot was saved, but Bella Brenkman scored on the rebound.
Sugar River kept the pressure on, as Anya Brenkman dribbled down the pitch on a breakaway in the final minute. She was thrown off course, but 30 seconds later Boldebuck came through with a goal.
“It’s amazing to have people who always come up and help you and don’t leave you alone,” Anya Brenkman said. “There are some teams that see people go forward, and they leave them there. It’s nice to always have someone. It feels better when you get a pass and assist than getting a goal.”
In the second half, freshman goalkeeper Savannah Mintor kept the shutout intact, making three saves in the final ten minutes.
“It’s a lot of pressure for a freshman to come in and preserve that [shutout],” Sugar River head coach John Ziperski said. “She did a great job of doing what she needed to do. That’s a statistic we try to get. I think she earned some respect in their [the varsity players’] eyes.”
Although the team celebrated a win, they also celebrated the life of five-year-old Masey Farrell, who passed away from cancer on April 20. Sugar River and Stoughton began the game with a moment of silence and blew bubbles to bring out their inner kid. Together, the two teams raised $2,000 for pediatric cancer.
Division 3 ranked opponents face off
BELLEVILLE — Two ranked teams in Division 3 battled it out on Thursday, May 18, with McFarland coming out on top 1-0. The Spartans, ranked No. 7, used a penalty kick from Elise Freeman to secure the win. It was just the second time all season the No. 10-ranked Raiders have been shut out. Lutz made seven saves to Avery Weaver’s five.
In other local soccer, Monroe lost to Monona Grove 10-0 on Thursday, May 18.
Familiar foes meet in regionals
MONROE — The WIAA released the girls soccer brackets on Sunday, May 21, and Sugar River and Monroe will play each other in the regional semifinal on Thursday, June 1 for the second straight year. The Raiders defeated the Cheesemakers 10-0, despite just a two-goal lead at half.
