MONROE — The Lady Cheesemakers had arguably its most successful and thrilling game of the 2024 season, defeating Clinton 9-0 on Senior Night May 9. Karlee Boll had a hat trick in the first 21 minutes and four other seniors scored — including goalie Kaelyn Welch and starting defenders Perla Jade and Marlies Brandli.

“That was really the goal of tonight,” Monroe head coach Sam Rudi said of the total team effort. “We like to keep our eyes on scores and know what’s going on in the conference. We had an expectation of how this game might go. I really wanted the girls to have that moment of having fun and playing together as a team.”

The Cheesemakers jumped out to a quick start, scoring in the first two minutes. Lilah Bauer dribbled down the left side of the pitch and sent a cross pass to Boll, who ricocheted the ball off the right bar and into the goal.

Monroe went cold for the next 19 minutes, missing several wide-open shots. Four kicks went wide of the net, one hit the post, three went over the goal and another hit the side of the net.

It was Boll’s second goal that got Monroe out of its funk. Clinton goalkeeper Mariya Babilius came out of net to make a save but let up a rebound. Boll, who was there to put pressure on Babilius, kept her momentum toward the net and scored uncontested with Babilius and defender Bethany Johnson at her back.

“At the beginning, we were overthinking it — we were shooting too hard,” Boll said. “We settled in, took a deep breath and overcame it. We focused on crosses and passing.”

Boll completed her hat trick less than a minute later, scoring on a rebound from Mary McKenzie’s shot that hit the crossbar.

McKenzie got another chance in the 23rd minute. Marlies Brandli sent a cross pass from the right side of the field to Addison Bartholf in front of the net. She put a shot on goal with her momentum taking her toward the end line, and McKenzie was there to clean it up.

Bartholf eventually scored in the 27th minute on a corner kick. Gema Barradas’s shot was deflected, but the defense forgot about Bartholf — who had taken the corner — and allowed her to score on the weak side to make it a 5-0 game.

Just before halftime, Brandli scored with an assist from Shyanne Camron. Boll’s throw-in went to Camron, who dribbled around four defenders and put a shot on goal. It hit the top crossbar and landed on the foot of Brandli, who finished the play.

With a six-goal lead entering the second half, Rudi continued to substitue players into different positions to give everyone a chance to score — specifically seniors Jade and Welch. 

“It was super fun. It was the most fun I’ve had as a coach, having the freedom to sub everyone wherever I wanted and wherever they wanted and get them to try new positions,” Rudi said.

Four minutes into the second frame, Clinton attempted to clear the ball on a corner kick. Jade intercepted the pass and took a shot straight on from just outside the 18-yard box. Her kick flew just over Babilius’ fingers and into the back of the net for Jade’s first high school career goal.

“I haven’t played wing or any forward position in a very long time,” Jade said. “I haven’t scored a goal since I was in Rebels, so it was very exciting and a great way to end my senior year on Senior Night.”

Welch, who has been the starting goalie since her freshman season, also got in on the action. She began the second half at forward and snuck one by Babilius in the 48th minute.

“I was just thinking back to when I played (club) striker for New Glarus, and I thought, man, it would be cool to play on my home field and score,” she said. “It was different being out there. I got tired right away, but I kept going.”

Camron capped the scoring five minutes before the mercy rule was enforced. The play began on a goal kick that Brandli intercepted, then made a centering pass to Camron, who stuffed it in the bottom left corner of the net.

With Monroe’s nine-goal lead 20 minutes into the second half, the game ended via mercy rule. Seven different players scored and Welch and McKenzie combined for the shutout in net.

-Adam Krebs contributed to this report.