MONROE — First it was the cold and the wind, then it was a couple of breakdowns on defense. The Cheesemakers lost 4-1 to Jefferson in a nonconference game Oct. 11 at Honey Creek Park.
Monroe (2-12) was coming off a game against East Troy the night before and competed well, despite being tired, Monroe coach Kyle Kasten said.
“This was five games in less than a matter of a week — not something we really wanted to prepare for,” Kasten said. “They came out after a tough match last night and gave it everything they had. They handled the difficult week very well.”
The first 25 minutes of the Eagles-Cheesemakers clash was uneventful other than players slipping in the mud and constantly trying to warm their fingers and hands. The wind chill dipped into the lower 30s, and overcast skies dashed any hope of the sun’s rays heating up the players.
“(The cold is) different — it’s a different feel on the ball; the legs feel a bit tighter, but you have to power through it. The other team is going through the same stuff,” Monroe senior Aaron Ziolkowski said. “Shoes have to get loosened up, your feet have to get used to the hard ball — stuff like that.”
(The cold is) different — it’s a different feel on the ball; the legs feel a bit tighter, but you have to power through it. The other team is going through the same stuff.Monroe senior Aaron Ziolkowski
Jefferson struck first late in the 28th minute, as Elijah Tackman squared up on a ricochet in the Cheesemakers box. The Eagles made it 2-0 in the 42nd minute when Reese Fetherston crashed the box and passed a soft touch to teammate Aaron Heine, who smashed it into the back of the net.
Monroe reached the scoreboard in the second half. Alex Torres gained possession near midfield, and with the wind at his back sent a shot toward net. Jefferson goalkeeper Hayden Radloff was out of position, and Torres’ shot went in, making it 2-1 with less than 29 minutes to play.
“Torres, looking to shoot, if you have the shot, take it,” Ziolkowski said.
Ten minutes later the Eagles scored again, as Heine found Jovany Ochoa on a pass across the box. Five minutes later, Jefferson made it 4-1 with Tackman’s second goal.
“With 2-1 and the way things were going, we were trying to push it a little more to get an equalizer, and it kind of bit us,” Kasten said. “We tried to take advantage of the wind in the second half and got one, but it was a lot for them to handle.”
The Cheesemakers had played five games in a matter of a week — the biggest of which was a victory over Watertown, the program’s first conference win this year.
“I’m hoping it was extremely meaningful for them — it was extremely meaningful for me. I told them after the game that I had goosebumps and I was really excited. They need to realize that they are fully capable of coming out against very tough competition and they can get good results if they have faith and believe themselves,” Kasten said.
Ziolkowski said the win over Watertown was a boost for the squad. He also said that hanging with Jefferson, despite the conditions, could be a positive moving forward into the final weeks of the season.
“(Watertown) was really big for us, because it was the first conference win in three years. We played better (today) than we did yesterday. It’s just something to build off of — passing, moving the ball around,” Ziolkowski said. “It’s a big boost going into the postseason.”
Monroe was set to host Milton Oct. 15 and then travel to Oregon Oct. 17 in the regular season finale.
