High school club team wins back-to-back tourney titles

MEDFORD CLUB SOCCER

The Medford Youth Soccer Association’s high school club team had an exciting month of June, winning tournaments in Stevens Point and Appleton on consecutive weekends.

The Stevens Point Soccer Classic was held June 18-20 with Medford taking the title in the U17 Division by going 3-0.

According to coach Chris Reardon, the team took lessons learned from the team’s previous tournament in Eau Claire to heart and made the needed adjustments.

“Our first tournament was in Eau Claire and we played in a U19 bracket and lost all three games,” Reardon said. “We did play really well against Marquette, Mich. and lost narrowly 2-1 in our first game but against Portage County Youth Soccer and New Richmond we got beat both physically and mentally. This was a wake up call to the lads. After going to state in the fall I think some players just thought they needed to turn up and we would win. We got taught a tough lesson that weekend but the lads bounced back and turned that negative experience into a positive by working harder in practice and changing their attitudes.

“We decided to change our formation to complement our team strengths which we put into practice in the Stevens Point tournament,” he added. “We played some really good soccer in spells throughout the weekend and managed to scrape through the first two games and then produce a solid performance to win against MC Predators in the final round robin game which the lads needed to win because MC Predators had one more point than us coming into the game.”

Medford opened with a 3-2 win over Portage County’s Wausau Satellite team. Aaron Schield scored twice off assists from Zach Rudolph and Quinton Tlusty and Tlusty assisted on the third goal, which was scored by Kale Klussendorf.

Rudolph assisted on a pair of Silas Wipf goals in a 4-2 win over the Waupaca Kickers. Rudolph also scored the first goal off a Wipf assist and Tlusty got the final unassisted goal.

The final against the MC Predators was scoreless until Rudolph got the game-winner late in the 1-0 final.

“We put lots of shots on their goal but couldn’t score until 10 minutes from time when Zach Rudolph went on one of his menacing runs into the box and shot, which the keeper saved but Zach reacted quickest and blasted it in to get the game-winning goal,” Reardon said. “We did have a scare with the last kick of the game. There was a scramble in our penalty area and the ball fell to one of their players and Jake Dassow came to the rescue by throwing his huge frame at the ball to block the shot.”

The following weekend, Medford won the U16-17 Division in Summer Shootout Kickin’ For a Cure in Appleton despite not having one of its top players in Tlusty.

The team won its opener 3-1 over the Marshfield Youth Inferno. Schield scored twice, once unassisted and once with an assist from Dante Axon. Rudolph scored the first goal with an assist from Gage Neubauer.

Next was a 3-1 win over Portage County’s Integrity squad. Vincent Seidel got Medford on the board off a Rudolph assist. Rudolph scored unassisted and Schield added the third one with help from Neubauer.

Medford crushed the Synergy Soccer Club 6-1. Schield scored twice and Neubauer had three assists to lead the way. Seidel, Wipf and Adyn Gripentrog added goals and Sam Blair was credited with an assist.

“Everything started to click and we played the best soccer we have played all summer,” Reardon said. “Gage Neubauer started finding the back of the net, Kale Klussendorf did a great job finding space to link the midfield, our midfield three –– Zach, Silas and Aaron were playing quicker through the middle and our defense and wing backs were all in sync. In the group stage, we dominated every game with fluid soccer which none of the teams could deal with. We scored some great team and individual goals in the group stage with Dante scoring a bullet header and Schield curling one bottom bag after great build up play.”

Those three wins set up the deciding final against hometown Wisconsin United, which was scoreless after regulation play and was decided on penalty kicks.

“The first half we were a bag of nerves with poor touches all over the pitch and no composure on the ball,” Reardon said. “Wisconsin United dominated every part of the game and was playing really well, but somehow we managed to go into halftime 0-0. Coach (Brian) Wipf and myself just tried to calm the players down. We knew we could beat this team but needed to play the Medford way, passing the ball around and winning 50/50 balls, neither of which we did in the first half. The lads came out all guns blazing in the second half. Mason Gripentrog had the game of his life on the right side winning every ball and Zach Rudolph started bossing the midfield which set the tone for the rest of the team. Wisconsin United did not know what hit them. In the second half we didn’t allow them to play and we battled them hard until the final whistle.”

Both teams successfully made their first two penalty kicks, with Klussendorf hitting the top corner and Neubauer also scoring for Medford. United missed its third shot while Blair put his shot in. Dassow got the save on United’s fourth shot, giving Nick Kowalski the chance to seal it and he did, hitting the bottom corner for the 4-2 shootout win.

“It was a great victory to win the tournament,” Reardon said.

Medford Youth Soccer Association’s high school club team, shown here after winning the Stevens Point Classic on June 20, includes (front l. to r.) Dante Axon, Caden Tessmann, Jake Dassow, Nick Kowalski, Adyn Gripentrog, (middle) Silas Wipf, Kale Klussendorf, Zach Rudolph, Vincent Seidel, Dom Fennell, (back) Aaron Schield, Braeden Long, Sam Blair, Gage Neubauer, Quinton Tlusty and Mason Gripentrog.SUBMITTED PHOTO