MONROE - Usually a team grows as the season progresses. Not so much for the Cheesemakers. Sometime over the course of the past two weeks, Monroe went from a young contending team to just young.
Two steps forward, five steps back.
"We're trying to get out of this rut that we're in and it's hard," Monroe senior goalkeeper Katie Coplien said after her team's 5-2 loss to Oregon Thursday. "We had a short talk after the game, and I think that's what we needed to do. We need to get over this."
The Cheesemakers have just one win in their last three games since falling 2-0 to third-ranked Edgewood on April 12.
"We need to have more strength and believe in ourselves a little more. At least more than we are right now," Coplien said. "We have to move on and win our next games. That's what is most important."
Monroe lost Tuesday's game in the final seven seconds and coach Miriam O'Neill thinks that the tough ending may have carried over into Thursday.
"There's maybe a little bit of a lack of confidence of some of our players," O'Neill said. "We're very young and we don't have much depth on our team. We have a lot to work on, but we do work on it. Yes, some of them were looking really beaten after 10 minutes of play, but I was glad to see that they regrouped and started back, playing their game."
Oregon (6-3, 3-1 Badger South) opened the game by scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes, 33 seconds. In fact, the first two goals came within 20 seconds of each other in the ninth minute.
"(Oregon) came out very strong, very quickly. We were a little overwhelmed in the first 10 minutes. We have a young team and sometimes it's kind of hard to cope with a very quick attack like that. They are a strong team. We knew they'd be good," O'Neill said.
"Them striking on us that early was tough to get out of," Coplien said. "I knew I needed to talk more. I needed to tell my defense that we need more people on one side or the other. I was thinking, 'this is why they scored, because we need to talk.'"
Despite playing with the wind in the first half, the Cheesemakers could only muster one goal. At the 14:10 mark, Monroe's Gabby Ludwig scored inside the box off of an assist from Sofia Larraga.
"After the first 10 minutes we calmed down, but it was a little bit too late at that point," O'Neill said. "The games was being played both ways after that."
Oregon had the wind at its back in the second half and scored in the 47th minute and again in the 55th minute. Trailing 5-1, Kylee Ritschard scored the final goal of the game for the Cheesemakers.
Monroe (3-4-1, 1-3) started the season 3-1-1 through five games, and looks to get back into a winning groove at the Janesville Parker Quad today and Saturday. Conference play resumes Thursday, May 5, at home against Milton (5-2, 3-0).
Two steps forward, five steps back.
"We're trying to get out of this rut that we're in and it's hard," Monroe senior goalkeeper Katie Coplien said after her team's 5-2 loss to Oregon Thursday. "We had a short talk after the game, and I think that's what we needed to do. We need to get over this."
The Cheesemakers have just one win in their last three games since falling 2-0 to third-ranked Edgewood on April 12.
"We need to have more strength and believe in ourselves a little more. At least more than we are right now," Coplien said. "We have to move on and win our next games. That's what is most important."
Monroe lost Tuesday's game in the final seven seconds and coach Miriam O'Neill thinks that the tough ending may have carried over into Thursday.
"There's maybe a little bit of a lack of confidence of some of our players," O'Neill said. "We're very young and we don't have much depth on our team. We have a lot to work on, but we do work on it. Yes, some of them were looking really beaten after 10 minutes of play, but I was glad to see that they regrouped and started back, playing their game."
Oregon (6-3, 3-1 Badger South) opened the game by scoring three goals in the first 10 minutes, 33 seconds. In fact, the first two goals came within 20 seconds of each other in the ninth minute.
"(Oregon) came out very strong, very quickly. We were a little overwhelmed in the first 10 minutes. We have a young team and sometimes it's kind of hard to cope with a very quick attack like that. They are a strong team. We knew they'd be good," O'Neill said.
"Them striking on us that early was tough to get out of," Coplien said. "I knew I needed to talk more. I needed to tell my defense that we need more people on one side or the other. I was thinking, 'this is why they scored, because we need to talk.'"
Despite playing with the wind in the first half, the Cheesemakers could only muster one goal. At the 14:10 mark, Monroe's Gabby Ludwig scored inside the box off of an assist from Sofia Larraga.
"After the first 10 minutes we calmed down, but it was a little bit too late at that point," O'Neill said. "The games was being played both ways after that."
Oregon had the wind at its back in the second half and scored in the 47th minute and again in the 55th minute. Trailing 5-1, Kylee Ritschard scored the final goal of the game for the Cheesemakers.
Monroe (3-4-1, 1-3) started the season 3-1-1 through five games, and looks to get back into a winning groove at the Janesville Parker Quad today and Saturday. Conference play resumes Thursday, May 5, at home against Milton (5-2, 3-0).
