MONROE - Nigel Tourdot has seen the movie before where Monroe fires shots at the goal only to see it end in a tie.
Ending the WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal against West Salem in a tie wasn't an option at Honey Creek Park on Tuesday. Tourdot scored the game-winning goal by breaking away from West Salem sophomore Zach Lang and then burying a shot to the near post to give Monroe a 2-1 win.
"As a team, we have been here before," Tourdot said of playing in a tight game with several scoring opportunities that were squandered. "We have games where we have had shots and corner kicks that we didn't score on. We knew if we kept getting shots and corner kicks on them one of them would go in."
After coming up short of cashing in on a couple of shots in the first half, Tourdot didn't want to be denied.
"I just felt I really needed to score a goal because it was getting late in the game and I had to put my team up," he said of the game-winning goal at 68 minutes, 47 seconds. "I put my head down and drove in as hard as I could because I didn't want the goalie to stop it. Credit Jason Atkinson on the pass"
With the win, Monroe (8-6-5) advances to the regional championship game where the Cheesemakers will play at No. 3 seed Lodi (18-2) at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
"They (Lodi) have played Division 2 and 3 schools," Monroe coach Tony Stamm said. "They haven't played the Division 1 teams like we have. We have played one of the hardest schedules in the Division 2 bracket. They are a good team. It will be up to the players if they want to come out and win. They will definitely have to give everything to win it."
It was the Cheesemakers who did everything early on to knock off the Panthers. The Cheesemakers had six shots on goal in the first half and generated five corner kicks, but were turned away each time. After Monroe's first corner kick, the Cheesemakers had two golden scoring opportunities. Tourdot banged a shot off the top cross bar and junior Jesse Keizer just missed on a header attempt.
Stamm said West Salem didn't play like a No. 11 seed.
"They (West Salem) came ready to play," Stamm said. "Their defense was packed in there and really breaking up our offense."
The Cheesemakers had another golden scoring opportunity that they didn't cash in on when Tourdot crossed it to Blake Duffy who just missed a shot in the 21st minute. Tourdot also had a couple of shots that hit the goalkeeper in the 23rd and 27th minute.
Keizer scored the game-tying goal by getting his foot on a high pass from Corey Flannery and then booting it into the back of the net at 41:32.
"I knew I could get my foot on it," Keizer said. "I just tried to put it in the direction of the goal and it went in. I was pretty confident we would come back. We have had a lot of games like this. We had to score sometime."
The Cheesemakers were able to score on two of their eight shots in the second half. Monroe senior goalkeeper Kyle Williams had 12 saves and the Cheesemakers shut down the Panthers.
"Our team finally realized it could be the end of their season," Stamm said. "We started getting to the ball better and we were challenging the ball. We broke down their defense in the second half. We pushed up on defense so we were able to control it."
Now the Cheesemakers are gearing up for the regional final.
"We will have to come out and play faster than we did today if we want to win," Tourdot said. "I think we can do it as a team."
Ending the WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal against West Salem in a tie wasn't an option at Honey Creek Park on Tuesday. Tourdot scored the game-winning goal by breaking away from West Salem sophomore Zach Lang and then burying a shot to the near post to give Monroe a 2-1 win.
"As a team, we have been here before," Tourdot said of playing in a tight game with several scoring opportunities that were squandered. "We have games where we have had shots and corner kicks that we didn't score on. We knew if we kept getting shots and corner kicks on them one of them would go in."
After coming up short of cashing in on a couple of shots in the first half, Tourdot didn't want to be denied.
"I just felt I really needed to score a goal because it was getting late in the game and I had to put my team up," he said of the game-winning goal at 68 minutes, 47 seconds. "I put my head down and drove in as hard as I could because I didn't want the goalie to stop it. Credit Jason Atkinson on the pass"
With the win, Monroe (8-6-5) advances to the regional championship game where the Cheesemakers will play at No. 3 seed Lodi (18-2) at 4 p.m. on Thursday.
"They (Lodi) have played Division 2 and 3 schools," Monroe coach Tony Stamm said. "They haven't played the Division 1 teams like we have. We have played one of the hardest schedules in the Division 2 bracket. They are a good team. It will be up to the players if they want to come out and win. They will definitely have to give everything to win it."
It was the Cheesemakers who did everything early on to knock off the Panthers. The Cheesemakers had six shots on goal in the first half and generated five corner kicks, but were turned away each time. After Monroe's first corner kick, the Cheesemakers had two golden scoring opportunities. Tourdot banged a shot off the top cross bar and junior Jesse Keizer just missed on a header attempt.
Stamm said West Salem didn't play like a No. 11 seed.
"They (West Salem) came ready to play," Stamm said. "Their defense was packed in there and really breaking up our offense."
The Cheesemakers had another golden scoring opportunity that they didn't cash in on when Tourdot crossed it to Blake Duffy who just missed a shot in the 21st minute. Tourdot also had a couple of shots that hit the goalkeeper in the 23rd and 27th minute.
Keizer scored the game-tying goal by getting his foot on a high pass from Corey Flannery and then booting it into the back of the net at 41:32.
"I knew I could get my foot on it," Keizer said. "I just tried to put it in the direction of the goal and it went in. I was pretty confident we would come back. We have had a lot of games like this. We had to score sometime."
The Cheesemakers were able to score on two of their eight shots in the second half. Monroe senior goalkeeper Kyle Williams had 12 saves and the Cheesemakers shut down the Panthers.
"Our team finally realized it could be the end of their season," Stamm said. "We started getting to the ball better and we were challenging the ball. We broke down their defense in the second half. We pushed up on defense so we were able to control it."
Now the Cheesemakers are gearing up for the regional final.
"We will have to come out and play faster than we did today if we want to win," Tourdot said. "I think we can do it as a team."
