MONROE — The Cheesemakers are still looking for their first victory after a 2-0 loss to Sauk Prairie. However, the team is trending upward.
“We’ve found over the last season and a half as we’ve worked on formational stuff — vocabulary and soccer IQ stuff, it took time away from some technique we would have done,” Monroe coach Matt Bodeau said. “What we found is that doing the technique now is catching on quicker than I would have thought in the games. The kids have expressed their want for that. To see them hungry like that is something we’re going to keep doing.”
Sauk Prairie is 4-4-3 on the season, with a 3-2 mark in the Badger West. The Eagles struck at the 2:25 mark in the first half on a rebound off a breakaway shot. In the 17th minute, the Eagles scored again — this time on a header from the six off of a corner kick.
“I was really happy that the only two goals we conceded were not on our standard run of play,” Bodeau said. “In the second half we had some goal opportunities and I would have liked to have gotten one in ourselves. We had quite a few attacking plays.”
Bodeau said he switched to a 4-4-2 for this game, moving more players around to new positions. After they got adjusted, the Cheesemakers settled down and kept Sauk off the board the rest of the way.
“It’s a decision I wouldn’t make if we had everybody playing a full bench. We gave up a little bit of speed up front,” Bodeau said, indicating that there are multiple players injured or ineligible right now. “Freshman Trenton Wyss had to step up and play his first play varsity minutes both in this game and last week against Mount Horeb. It was probably the best first 10 minutes I’ve ever seen a freshman play on varsity.
“Tristen Vazquez, too. His club coach told me he was kind of the heart and soul of his club team at that grade level — he kind of knits them together. We’ve got a couple of kids like that now, like Sebastian Watkins. They make me happy to be here, happy to be a coach and part of this team.”
The Cheesemakers play three games in four days this week, with two at home at TR Holyoke Field for Homecoming week. On Sept. 26, Monroe was at Wisconsin Heights-Barneveld. The next night, the Cheesemakers was set to host Stoughton, with second-ranked Oregon coming to town Sept. 29.
Sugar River 2, Milton 0
Sugar River 1, Lake Mills 0
BELLEVILLE — The Raiders won a pair of games last week.
Against Milton on Sept. 24, Reid Nolden and Jack Douma each scored for Sugar River. Aiden Hatleberg assisted each goal, and Clayton Streiff saved 10 shots.
Two days earlier against Lake Mills, Jack Leonard had the Raiders’ lone goal, while Streiff added nine saves.
The seventh-ranked Raiders next played at Platteville-Lancaster on Sept. 27, and will host Wisconsin Dells Oct. 4. Both Dells and Sugar River are tied atop the conference standings at 5-0.
