BELLEVILLE - The Sugar River Raiders opened their girls soccer season with a successful win over Sun Prairie 4-2 on Friday night.
"We didn't really know what to expect," head coach John Ziperski said. "It's early spring and it was our first time out on this field."
The Raiders were on the attack for much of the first half, pressuring Sun Prairie's freshman goalie.
A free kick goal by sophomore captain Hannah Kernen gave Sugar River a 1-0 lead with 13 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the opening half.
"She's a captain and a leader on the field," Ziperski said of his returning all-state player.
The Cardinals, however, are a big school in a good soccer conference and wouldn't allow a single goal to get into their way.
"Sun Prairie is a terrific program. But I don't have the girls focus much on who we're playing, because you can get challenges from anywhere, so you have to be ready at any point," Ziperski said.
Sun Prairie tied up the score at 1-1 in the 38th minute on a rebound.
Both teams went into halftime tied, but it was Sugar River that would strike first blood in the second half.
Sophomore Katie Viney scored the first of two goals just short of three minutes into the second half. She added a second goal with 29:57 left in the game to put the Raiders up 3-1. The goal appeared to further cool off the Cardinals as temperatures fell into the 30s after sunset.
Sun Prairie did make it interesting late in the game. The Cardinals scored with 4:07 left to play to bring the score to 3-2, but the Raiders quickly responded.
Not even 40 seconds later Sugar River had a breakaway shot at the net. Viney had an opportunity for a hat trick after breaking through the defense, but the Cardinals' freshman goalie stopped her twice. However, New Glarus senior Kaitlyn Schluter was there for the rebound and goal, giving the Raiders a lasting 4-2 advantage.
"I was really happy with our intensity. As a team we grew a little bit. We got better between each whistle," Ziperski said.
Sugar River is scheduled to play at Mount Horeb on Tuesday, March 31. Ziperski hinted at that game being postponed due to potential field conditions caused by the likely snow-storms this weekend.
"We didn't really know what to expect," head coach John Ziperski said. "It's early spring and it was our first time out on this field."
The Raiders were on the attack for much of the first half, pressuring Sun Prairie's freshman goalie.
A free kick goal by sophomore captain Hannah Kernen gave Sugar River a 1-0 lead with 13 minutes, 8 seconds remaining in the opening half.
"She's a captain and a leader on the field," Ziperski said of his returning all-state player.
The Cardinals, however, are a big school in a good soccer conference and wouldn't allow a single goal to get into their way.
"Sun Prairie is a terrific program. But I don't have the girls focus much on who we're playing, because you can get challenges from anywhere, so you have to be ready at any point," Ziperski said.
Sun Prairie tied up the score at 1-1 in the 38th minute on a rebound.
Both teams went into halftime tied, but it was Sugar River that would strike first blood in the second half.
Sophomore Katie Viney scored the first of two goals just short of three minutes into the second half. She added a second goal with 29:57 left in the game to put the Raiders up 3-1. The goal appeared to further cool off the Cardinals as temperatures fell into the 30s after sunset.
Sun Prairie did make it interesting late in the game. The Cardinals scored with 4:07 left to play to bring the score to 3-2, but the Raiders quickly responded.
Not even 40 seconds later Sugar River had a breakaway shot at the net. Viney had an opportunity for a hat trick after breaking through the defense, but the Cardinals' freshman goalie stopped her twice. However, New Glarus senior Kaitlyn Schluter was there for the rebound and goal, giving the Raiders a lasting 4-2 advantage.
"I was really happy with our intensity. As a team we grew a little bit. We got better between each whistle," Ziperski said.
Sugar River is scheduled to play at Mount Horeb on Tuesday, March 31. Ziperski hinted at that game being postponed due to potential field conditions caused by the likely snow-storms this weekend.
