MONROE - The Monroe girls soccer team's home-opening 9-1 loss to Oregon, a state qualifier last year, dealt the Cheesemakers two devastating blows as junior goalkeeper Anna Latimer and senior Kennedy Ludwig were carried off the field with injuries.
Latimer suffered an injury coming out of the net at Honey Creek Park to make a save when she fell to the ground when it appeared her cleat stuck in the grass at the 9-minute mark. Monroe coach Kyle Kasten said the team thinks Latimer suffered a knee injury.
Kasten said Ludwig suffered a leg or ankle injury when an Oregon player took her down on a slide tackle with about 3-minutes left in the first half and the Cheesemakers trailing 3-0. Kasten and Monroe High School officials considered postponing the game as other teams around the area did due to poor weather and field conditions but decided to play anyway. It was 37 degrees at the start and there were snow flurries during the game. Kasten doesn't attribute the injuries to any field issues.
"I think those injuries could have happened on a warm day," Kasten said. "I wouldn't attribute those injuries to the field conditions. Anna's was a freak injury. She planted her foot wrong. Kennedy's injury was the result of one of the players on the other team slide tackling her."
Kasten doesn't know the severity of either injury.
"We think Anna has a knee injury," he said. "We don't know for sure. We are hoping for the best. I'm assuming she will be out for an indefinite period of time."
Oregon, the Badger South Conference champion last year and ranked No. 6 in the Division 2 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state poll, erupted for six goals in the second half. Oregon sophomore Ashley Hanson scored two goals and had two assists. Fellow sophomore Kaitlyn Schrimpf also scored two goals. With the loss, Monroe drops to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the Badger South.
"With the injuries we had to adjust on the fly," Kasten said. "They (Oregon) are a great team and program. They are one of the top programs in the state. I told the girls at the end of the game I was extremely proud of their effort and tenacity they played with against some of the top competition in the state. They didn't bat an eye or flinch. I don't think the score reflected how they played."
Oregon's Avery Fanning scored a goal on a rebound off a corner kick on an assist from Kailie Sweeney to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 3 minutes, 29 seconds. After Latimer's injury, Oregon's Sweeney scored a goal after a shot by Hanson went off Monroe senior goalie Reily Pond's hands to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead at 13:57. Moments later, Oregon senior Alexis Kane scored a goal on an assist by Hanson to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.
Monroe senior Morgan Seffrood scored a goal to cut the Panthers' lead to 7-1 at 74:31. Hanson and Schrimpf each scored two goals in the second half for the Panthers.
Pond had 16 saves and Latimer had two saves.
"Reily did a good job of stepping in and taking over," Kasten said of Pond at goalie. "She's willing to do whatever she can for the team."
Monroe hosts Platteville in a nonconference game at 6:45 today for Senior Night at T.R. Holyoke Field. The Cheesemakers then play at Madison Edgewood, which is ranked No. 4 in Division 3, on Thursday. Monroe has a matchup against No. 7-ranked Sugar River April 24 in Belleville.
"We need to close the door on this one and move forward," Kasten said.
Latimer suffered an injury coming out of the net at Honey Creek Park to make a save when she fell to the ground when it appeared her cleat stuck in the grass at the 9-minute mark. Monroe coach Kyle Kasten said the team thinks Latimer suffered a knee injury.
Kasten said Ludwig suffered a leg or ankle injury when an Oregon player took her down on a slide tackle with about 3-minutes left in the first half and the Cheesemakers trailing 3-0. Kasten and Monroe High School officials considered postponing the game as other teams around the area did due to poor weather and field conditions but decided to play anyway. It was 37 degrees at the start and there were snow flurries during the game. Kasten doesn't attribute the injuries to any field issues.
"I think those injuries could have happened on a warm day," Kasten said. "I wouldn't attribute those injuries to the field conditions. Anna's was a freak injury. She planted her foot wrong. Kennedy's injury was the result of one of the players on the other team slide tackling her."
Kasten doesn't know the severity of either injury.
"We think Anna has a knee injury," he said. "We don't know for sure. We are hoping for the best. I'm assuming she will be out for an indefinite period of time."
Oregon, the Badger South Conference champion last year and ranked No. 6 in the Division 2 Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state poll, erupted for six goals in the second half. Oregon sophomore Ashley Hanson scored two goals and had two assists. Fellow sophomore Kaitlyn Schrimpf also scored two goals. With the loss, Monroe drops to 1-1 overall and 0-1 in the Badger South.
"With the injuries we had to adjust on the fly," Kasten said. "They (Oregon) are a great team and program. They are one of the top programs in the state. I told the girls at the end of the game I was extremely proud of their effort and tenacity they played with against some of the top competition in the state. They didn't bat an eye or flinch. I don't think the score reflected how they played."
Oregon's Avery Fanning scored a goal on a rebound off a corner kick on an assist from Kailie Sweeney to give the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 3 minutes, 29 seconds. After Latimer's injury, Oregon's Sweeney scored a goal after a shot by Hanson went off Monroe senior goalie Reily Pond's hands to give the Panthers a 2-0 lead at 13:57. Moments later, Oregon senior Alexis Kane scored a goal on an assist by Hanson to give the Panthers a 3-0 lead.
Monroe senior Morgan Seffrood scored a goal to cut the Panthers' lead to 7-1 at 74:31. Hanson and Schrimpf each scored two goals in the second half for the Panthers.
Pond had 16 saves and Latimer had two saves.
"Reily did a good job of stepping in and taking over," Kasten said of Pond at goalie. "She's willing to do whatever she can for the team."
Monroe hosts Platteville in a nonconference game at 6:45 today for Senior Night at T.R. Holyoke Field. The Cheesemakers then play at Madison Edgewood, which is ranked No. 4 in Division 3, on Thursday. Monroe has a matchup against No. 7-ranked Sugar River April 24 in Belleville.
"We need to close the door on this one and move forward," Kasten said.
