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Sugar River Advances To Sectional Semis After Two Blowouts
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Sugar River coach John Ziperski talks to his bench during the Raiders’ 9-0 thumping of Jefferson in the WIAA Division 2 playoffs June 5 in New Glarus. The Raiders defeated Mount Horeb 5-0 two days later to reach the sectional semifinal. - photo by Mark Evenstad

NEW GLARUS — The Sugar River Raiders have advanced to the Division 3 sectional semifinal in girls soccer after winning over Jefferson 9-0 in the regional semifinal on Thursday, June 5 and over Mount Horeb 5-0 in the regional final on Saturday, June 7.

Against Jefferson (No. 15 seed) senior Anya Brenkman scored five goals and added an assist as the Raiders (No. 2 seed) dominated the Eagles. Brenkman wasted no time getting the rout started. She scored just 25 seconds into the match on an assist from senior Kylie Humke. Brenkman scored again at 5:01 with an assist from sophomore Holly Maynard to make it 2-0. Senior Hannah Boldebuck made it 3-0 with a goal and junior Ella Woodmansee on the assist at 7:39. Sophomore Kate Parman scored and junior Josie Emond assisted at 21:52 putting the Raiders in control at 4-0. The Raiders weren’t done with their first-half scoring as Brenkman notched another goal with junior Cora Funseth on the assist at 35:08 and the Raiders led 5-0 at halftime.

Boldebuck opened the second half scoring with a goal at 41:22 with an assist from Brenkman to make it 6-0. Brenkman drilled a kick into the net with Boldebuck on the assist just 14 seconds later to give the Raiders a 7-0 lead. At 44:10, Brenkman struck again, unassisted, making it 8-0. Sophomore Nikole Schultz made it a 9-0 final by scoring unassisted at 56:45.

Goalkeepers MacKenzie Ohms and Savannah Minter combined to shutout Jefferson with two saves. 

On Saturday, June 7, the Raiders hosted Mount Horeb (No. 7 seed) in the regional final. Sugar River posted yet another shutout, their 10th of the season, in a 5-0 victory. Brenkman continued her post-season mastery with a nine-point night by scoring four goals and added an assist. Senior Zoey Lovejoy scored a goal and had two assists. Hannah Boldebuck contributed with two assists. Goalkeeper Savanna Minter, a junior, played 20 minutes and had three saves. MacKenzie Ohms, a senior, spent 40 minutes protecting the net and had zero saves. 

Sugar River (19-2-1) will host McFarland (No. 3 seed) in a sectional semifinal on Thursday, June 12 at New Glarus. The winner advances to the sectional championship against the winner of Big Foot/Williams Bay and second-ranked Madison Edgewood.

In other playoff soccer action, Monroe lost to Edgewood 10-0 in a regional semifinal June 5.