MONROE — The Cheesemakers ran to a draw against Wisconsin Heights/Barneveld in a nonconference game May 5 at TR Holyoke Field. The Vanguards had multiple chances in the closing seconds to score a game-winning goal, but Monroe’s defense did just enough to keep the ball out of the net.
“I can’t be prouder of this team. We are super young, but they fight all 80 minutes on the field,” said Hannah Ormson, in her first-year coaching the Cheesemakers. “There is not a single one of them that is not giving 100%.”
Monroe (1-9-1) took an early 1-0 lead on a goal from Alexis Stoychoff just 3:10 into the game. A corner kick from Marlies Brandli was poked out of the box by a Heights defender, but Stoychoff powered the loose ball through the defense and into back of the net on the right side.
WHB (0-6-3) later tied it in the 33rd minute off a set piece of their own. A free kick through-ball from more than 40 yards away found Keera Payne beyond the Monroe defense. Cheesemakers goalie Kaelyn Welch was unable to knock away the 1-on-1 breakaway, as Payne put it into the top-left corner of the net.
Monroe nearly took a 2-1 advantage before halftime, when Brandli curled a kick into the net from near the right sideline, but teammate Manal Mustafa was called for offsides while crashing the box near the keeper.
Just 3:27 into the second half, Monroe re-took the lead. Atziry Ocampo rushed hard up the right side of the field, then sent a cross into the 6-yard box. A Vanguard defender deflected the pass before it could get to Monroe’s Karlee Boll, but the ricochet was snagged by midfielder Addison Bartholf at the top of the 18. Bartholf touched once with her left foot for control, and with a defender on her left side, hit it hard with her right boot, just inside the left post.
“We did something a little different and had all of our attacking force able to attack, and they almost pulled it out,” Ormson said.
The 2-1 lead lasted until the 69:27 mark in the game, when WHB’s Mikayla Teela found an opening against the Monroe defense on a quick counterattack after a giveaway near midfield.
“A couple of unlucky set pieces really got us tonight, but we’ll be back at practice and be back working on the field,” Ormson said.
The next night against eighth-ranked Sauk Prairie (9-2-1), Monroe allowed 11 first-half goals before the game was called via mercy rule. McKenna Breunig had four goals for Sauk Prairie.
This week the Cheesemakers were to host Stoughton May 10, then travel to top-ranked Oregon (12-0) on May 13. Monroe then returns home May 17 and 19 against Baraboo (3-5-1) and Monona Grove (6-5).
McFarland 6,
Sugar River 1
MADISON — The top-ranked team in Division 3 knocked off the sixth-ranked squad in a nonconference game May 6 at Madison College.
Hannah Boldebuck scored Sugar River’s lone goal, which came off an assist from Callie Smith in the second half. The Spartans scored four goals in the first half and five total in the game against Raiders starter Morgan Thompson. The Raiders (6-2-1) had only conceded three goals in eight games this season. Thompson stopped 12 shots in the game, and backup Skyler Beyer had five saves.
For the Spartans (10-1-1), goalie Avery Weaver only faced three four shots, stopping three. Grace Breuchel and Avery Pennekamp each had three goals for McFarland.
Sugar River was schedule to travel to Lakeside Lutheran May 10 for a Capitol Conference match, then a nonconference road game at Dodgeville-Mineral Point May 14 is next.
