EVANSVILLE - Monroe senior forward Gabby Ludwig couldn't fight back the tears after a 3-0 loss to Mount Horeb in a WIAA Division 3 sectional championship game Saturday.
Mount Horeb's Cassie Handrick scored three goals to power the Vikings to their third straight state tournament appearance, while Monroe (12-8) capped an improbable tournament run that saw the Cheesemakers win a regional championship and advance to the sectional for the first time in the history of the girls and boys' soccer program.
Ludwig was proud to play on a historic team that made a breakthrough in the tournament.
"We gave it all we got," she said. "That is all you can ask for. It means a lot to make it this far. It's an accomplishment. We made history."
Ludwig will attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the fall and she is deciding if she will play college soccer for the Warhawks or club soccer. Either way, she plans to keep an eye on the Cheesemakers.
"We became like one big family," Ludwig said. "I'm excited what they will do next year. The dream (state) is still alive for them next year."
The Cheesemakers got off to a strong start Saturday and it appeared that 2014 could be their year to make a state tournament appearance. The Cheesemakers had two golden opportunities with the wind in the first 10 minutes. Ludwig pounded a cross to sophomore Maddie Kallgren whose shot was caught by the goalie. In the 10th minute, Monroe's Lez'lee Foley had a direct kick of about 30 yards that the goalie grabbed just before it could get to the back of the net.
The Cheesemakers battled the Vikings to a scoreless first 25 minutes. Handrick gave the Vikings the momentum when she punched in a goal past a diving Monroe senior goalkeeper Shyanna Kelley to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead at the half.
"We had some really good shots on goal," Ludwig said. "We couldn't get down on ourselves. The wind didn't matter. We had the whole second half."
The Vikings took advantage of playing with the wind in the second half. Handrick scored her second goal on a corner kick that just sailed over Kelley in the 51st minute. Handrick earned the hat trick scoring on a shot she tapped in to the near post just past Kelley at 55:19. Kallgren finished the season with 23 goals, which ranks 15th in the state.
"She (Handrick) is like Maddie (Kallgren)," Monroe coach Miriam O'Neill said. "She has about 22 goals this season. She's tremendously fast and skilled. Allie Coplien and Lez'lee Foley contained her for the first 25 minutes. They did everything they could to contain her. She's a high caliber player."
The Vikings out-shot the Cheesemakers 11-7.
"It would have been nice to finish some of those shots," O'Neill said of the first half. "It's like the World Cup. Whatever happens, happens."
Kelley had 11 saves.
The Cheesemakers made a postseason run that included beating No. 1 seed Evansville in a regional championship and No. 2 seed Delavan-Darien in a sectional semifinal.
"With the small team we had, we have a lack of depth," O'Neill said. "They left it all out there."
O'Neill credited Kelley, who is planning on playing soccer in college at Greenville College in Greenville, Ill.
"It's a very lonely place to be," O'Neill said of Kelley as a goalie. "She had an amazing season and has come so far. She is playing soccer in college and will hopefully play keeper."
O'Neill wants the Cheesemakers to build off making it to the sectional final and become a perennial sectional contender like Mount Horeb has become.
"They started to believe this year that they could go as far as anyone," O'Neill said. "They made themselves believe they could do it and they did it.
"I think it's a real inspiration to younger soccer players. It takes the momentum from this kind of occasion to inspire the young players. It may make more players want to come out and play soccer."
Mount Horeb's Cassie Handrick scored three goals to power the Vikings to their third straight state tournament appearance, while Monroe (12-8) capped an improbable tournament run that saw the Cheesemakers win a regional championship and advance to the sectional for the first time in the history of the girls and boys' soccer program.
Ludwig was proud to play on a historic team that made a breakthrough in the tournament.
"We gave it all we got," she said. "That is all you can ask for. It means a lot to make it this far. It's an accomplishment. We made history."
Ludwig will attend the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater in the fall and she is deciding if she will play college soccer for the Warhawks or club soccer. Either way, she plans to keep an eye on the Cheesemakers.
"We became like one big family," Ludwig said. "I'm excited what they will do next year. The dream (state) is still alive for them next year."
The Cheesemakers got off to a strong start Saturday and it appeared that 2014 could be their year to make a state tournament appearance. The Cheesemakers had two golden opportunities with the wind in the first 10 minutes. Ludwig pounded a cross to sophomore Maddie Kallgren whose shot was caught by the goalie. In the 10th minute, Monroe's Lez'lee Foley had a direct kick of about 30 yards that the goalie grabbed just before it could get to the back of the net.
The Cheesemakers battled the Vikings to a scoreless first 25 minutes. Handrick gave the Vikings the momentum when she punched in a goal past a diving Monroe senior goalkeeper Shyanna Kelley to give the Vikings a 1-0 lead at the half.
"We had some really good shots on goal," Ludwig said. "We couldn't get down on ourselves. The wind didn't matter. We had the whole second half."
The Vikings took advantage of playing with the wind in the second half. Handrick scored her second goal on a corner kick that just sailed over Kelley in the 51st minute. Handrick earned the hat trick scoring on a shot she tapped in to the near post just past Kelley at 55:19. Kallgren finished the season with 23 goals, which ranks 15th in the state.
"She (Handrick) is like Maddie (Kallgren)," Monroe coach Miriam O'Neill said. "She has about 22 goals this season. She's tremendously fast and skilled. Allie Coplien and Lez'lee Foley contained her for the first 25 minutes. They did everything they could to contain her. She's a high caliber player."
The Vikings out-shot the Cheesemakers 11-7.
"It would have been nice to finish some of those shots," O'Neill said of the first half. "It's like the World Cup. Whatever happens, happens."
Kelley had 11 saves.
The Cheesemakers made a postseason run that included beating No. 1 seed Evansville in a regional championship and No. 2 seed Delavan-Darien in a sectional semifinal.
"With the small team we had, we have a lack of depth," O'Neill said. "They left it all out there."
O'Neill credited Kelley, who is planning on playing soccer in college at Greenville College in Greenville, Ill.
"It's a very lonely place to be," O'Neill said of Kelley as a goalie. "She had an amazing season and has come so far. She is playing soccer in college and will hopefully play keeper."
O'Neill wants the Cheesemakers to build off making it to the sectional final and become a perennial sectional contender like Mount Horeb has become.
"They started to believe this year that they could go as far as anyone," O'Neill said. "They made themselves believe they could do it and they did it.
"I think it's a real inspiration to younger soccer players. It takes the momentum from this kind of occasion to inspire the young players. It may make more players want to come out and play soccer."
