MONROE - Instead of pushing Thursday, Monroe's boys soccer team ended up chasing Sauk Prairie's forwards and midfielders in its home opener.
Sauk Prairie (2-0) scored three first-half goals to propel the Eagles to a 4-0 win Thursday night at a steamy and sticky Honey Creek Park.
Monroe senior Brandon Wilson knew the Cheesemakers would face a test, but he expected to push the Eagles after a 2-1 loss last year.
"Our defense looked a little dead in the legs," Wilson said. "Their forwards looked a step faster all night. It showed in the score. It didn't feel like everyone was marking on our team."
The Cheesemakers (1-1) dodged a bullet in the first three minutes when the Eagles' first goal was negated by an offsides call.
The Eagles' next scoring opportunity would not be wiped away. Sauk Prairie sophomore forward Tyler Fuchs scored an unassisted goal at 14 minutes, 20 seconds.
Fuchs scored his second goal on an assist from junior Mike Zenker at 27:23. The back breaker for the Cheesemakers came late in the first half when Sauk Prairie freshman Jeremy Hish punched in a goal after a long cross by senior Romain Coquard to give the Eagles a commanding 3-0 lead at 36:48.
"They (Monroe) have a lot of good athletes," Sauk Prairie coach Mike Rauls said. "What we have on a lot of teams is the experience and a little more soccer savvy. Sometimes when you can put that together, it looks like you are running faster."
Monroe coach Tony Stamm knows the Cheesemakers must tighten the defense to get to where they want to be in the postseason.
"We were not marking up and we were not staying with guys," Stamm said. "We have to stay better at marking on the guys and not give them the inside to the goal.
"They ran us tired. We had to keep hustling and hustling every time to win the ball back. It definitely gives us something to work on. It gives us a good learning opportunity."
The Cheesemakers, who were coming off an 8-0 victory over the Wisconsin Dells, limited the Eagles to one second-half goal, which was scored by senior Garet Sagami at 50:48.
Monroe senior Logan Stamm re-aggravated a dislocated knee injury, but he did return in the second half.
"He is in pain right now," Tony Stamm said. "We will have to see how it goes."
Sauk Prairie (2-0) scored three first-half goals to propel the Eagles to a 4-0 win Thursday night at a steamy and sticky Honey Creek Park.
Monroe senior Brandon Wilson knew the Cheesemakers would face a test, but he expected to push the Eagles after a 2-1 loss last year.
"Our defense looked a little dead in the legs," Wilson said. "Their forwards looked a step faster all night. It showed in the score. It didn't feel like everyone was marking on our team."
The Cheesemakers (1-1) dodged a bullet in the first three minutes when the Eagles' first goal was negated by an offsides call.
The Eagles' next scoring opportunity would not be wiped away. Sauk Prairie sophomore forward Tyler Fuchs scored an unassisted goal at 14 minutes, 20 seconds.
Fuchs scored his second goal on an assist from junior Mike Zenker at 27:23. The back breaker for the Cheesemakers came late in the first half when Sauk Prairie freshman Jeremy Hish punched in a goal after a long cross by senior Romain Coquard to give the Eagles a commanding 3-0 lead at 36:48.
"They (Monroe) have a lot of good athletes," Sauk Prairie coach Mike Rauls said. "What we have on a lot of teams is the experience and a little more soccer savvy. Sometimes when you can put that together, it looks like you are running faster."
Monroe coach Tony Stamm knows the Cheesemakers must tighten the defense to get to where they want to be in the postseason.
"We were not marking up and we were not staying with guys," Stamm said. "We have to stay better at marking on the guys and not give them the inside to the goal.
"They ran us tired. We had to keep hustling and hustling every time to win the ball back. It definitely gives us something to work on. It gives us a good learning opportunity."
The Cheesemakers, who were coming off an 8-0 victory over the Wisconsin Dells, limited the Eagles to one second-half goal, which was scored by senior Garet Sagami at 50:48.
Monroe senior Logan Stamm re-aggravated a dislocated knee injury, but he did return in the second half.
"He is in pain right now," Tony Stamm said. "We will have to see how it goes."
