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What’s the Raiders’ recipe to success? Believing in each other
Sugar River boys soccer overcomes two decades of oh-so-close postseason runs, returns to state for first time since 2004
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Sugar River senior Aiden Hatleberg kisses the sectional championship plaque he and his teammates earned with a 2-1 overtime win against Madison Edgewood Oct. 28 at Wisconsin Dells. Hatleberg scored the game-winning goal in overtime and assisted on the other. - photo by Adam Krebs

BELLEVILLE — After 20 years, the Sugar River Raiders are state-bound in boys soccer once again.

Back in 2004, the Raiders punched their first ticket to that state tournament, only to lose to top-ranked The Prairie School out of Racine in the semifinals, 5-0.

This time around, Sugar River (18-2-1) will once again be facing the top-seeded team at state — Pius XI Catholic, which was ranked fourth overall in the final Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association poll and comes into the state tournament 176-4-3 overall. The Raiders ended the season ranked eighth. 

“The bottom line is, it’s not deserved, privileged or anything just because we’ve had a really good season — these guys have earned it from Day 1. They’ve worked hard for it, and this is what you get,” said head coach Bob Gentilli. “It’s pretty cool, program-wise. For all of these parents, these kids, the two schools coming together — the odds are almost against us from the beginning.”

Tenth-ranked Somerset (23-1) and unranked Plymouth (14-3-2) also reached the WIAA Division 3 state semifinals at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.

“It’s the second time in program history, so we’re glad we’re making history, but there’s still more work to be done. We want that gold ball really bad,” junior defender Jack Leonard said. 

The Raiders are hoping the intangibles built from their youth system are what can carry them to the top.

“These guys are wonderful teammates on and off the field, and maybe that’s why we were successful today,” Gentilli said after the 2-1 sectional semifinal overtime win over Madison Edgewood Oct. 28.

For years, soccer players from Belleville and New Glarus have come together through the youth program, basically from the start of being school age. The players have learned to play the sport together, as well as forge long-term friendships in the process. The chemistry built during those years has now come to fruition at the high school level. 

“It’s the coolest. I’m so excited,” junior goalkeeper Clayton Streiff said. “Everyone is so pumped and it’s so nice. We really appreciate the opportunity.”

“It’s everything to get to play one more week with these guys,” senior forward Aiden Hatleberg said. “Growing up with these guys, they are so important to me. It feels great to be able to go to state with them.”

The players have come up through the ranks dreaming of the day they could play in the state tournament. None of the 25 players on today’s roster were born when the program made its only other state appearance in 2004. In the time since, more than half of the teams that have knocked the Raiders out of the playoffs have gone on to reach the state semifinals, with four coming away as eventual champions. 

In the last decade, Sugar River is 144-48-10 overall, including an outstanding 58-8-5 in the four years this senior crop has been in the program. However, all four years, those seasons ended in losses to McFarland. This year in the sectional semifinal, the Raiders beat McFarland 4-3 — the second time defeating the Spartans this season. In the sectional final, the Raiders knocked off Madison Edgewood in overtime, 2-1. 

“It feels so good. These past four years McFarland has gotten us every time,” senior forward Aiden Hatleberg said. “This year our goal was (beat) McFarland, then go to state — and that’s what’s happened. It feels so good.”

“It’s been a long-time coming,” Streiff said. “It feels great to finally prove it and get to state. It’s a huge step and we hope to continue on and win.”

Leading the way for the Raiders is Hatleberg, who was named the Capitol Conference Player of the Year in 2022 as a junior, and is a shoe-in for yet another all-conference and all-state selection. Hatleberg scored more goals (38) than the rest of his team combined (37). He’s also added 13 assists on the season, adding to his prowess. 

Second on the team in scoring is senior Brycen Teasdale, with seven goals and six assists. Brady Mousseau has five goals and eight assists, and Alvaro Perez has added four goals and four assists. 

Clayton Streiff has been the No. 1 option between the sticks for Sugar River. He’s collected 55 saves while allowing 20 goals in 21 games. He’s recorded eight clean sheets this season.

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Semifinal opponent Piux XI finished second in the Woodland West Conference behind Pewaukee. The Popes are a young team, sporting just four seniors. Three players have scored more than 12 goals for Pius XI — sophomore Nicolas Gonzales Polar has 30 goals and 12 assists, junior Jesus Ramirez Pabon has 26 goals and 19 assists, and junior Ethan Clardie-Hook has 12 goals and nine assists. 

As a team, the Popes have scored 91 goals in 24 games, while allowing 41. A prolific scoring team, Pius XI has notched seven or more goals in a game five times this season. No. 1 goalkeeper Kevin Reyes Ramero has a goal and 33 assists to his name as well.

This is the third time Pius XI has reached the state tournament. The Popes reached the semifinal in 2000 and won it all in 2018.

The winner will get either Plymouth or Somerset. Somerset is making the program’s first trip to state this weekend, while Plymouth is making its sixth appearance, winning it all in 2002 over Edgewood in overtime.