SPIRITS AREN’T DAMPENED

MEDFORD GIRLS SOCCER

Raiders see improvements on a miserable night

Aided by a gusty east wind, Barron-Cumberland was able to keep the ball in its offensive end for much of the first half and punched in two goals to secure a weather-shortened 2-0 win over Medford’s girls soccer team Tuesday at Raider Hall.

The game was called at about the 50-minute mark –– 10 minutes into the second half –– as the wind, cold and pouring rain that started about five minutes after the opening kick made for miserable conditions to play in.

Medford head coach Tanya Tessmann said the conditions made it virtually impossible to make a true evaluation of either team’s performance. She and assistant Denice Poetzl were simply more impressed with how the girls handled them.

“The ladies from both teams were met with a challenge and they took it on,” Tessmann said. “I can’t say enough good things about that. Soccer is a tough sport in that it’s usually played in any kind of weather unless there is lightning. We found out Tuesday what else can stop it.”

Tessmann said the coaches and offi cials met at halftime to discuss if the game should continue. Both teams expressed a desire to keep playing but agreed to go with whatever the officials decided.

“At halftime the girls simply stated the facts that they couldn’t feel their hands and there wasn’t one part of them that wasn’t wet, but they didn’t complain,” Tessmann said. “They said they were going out to finish what they started.”

For the second straight game, Medford allowed an early goal about seven minutes in, this one from Taylor Johnson who got an open, straight-on shot off a scramble following a corner kick and buried it.

The Golden Bears struck again about 10 minutes later, busting through Medford’s defense and creating a breakaway shot for Kasey Stauner, who didn’t miss her golden opportunity.

Medford goalie Sophia Brunner was solid after that and finished with nine saves in the slippery conditions. Barron- Cumberland, who took 15 shots in the game and put 11 on goal, created some pressure off a corner kick at about the 28-minute mark and she made a diving save on a ball that nearly squirted over the goal line. She made a two-hand deflection on a ball headed for the crossbar about six minutes later.

With the wind at their backs, the Raiders got some offensive movement in the brief second half. They created back-to-back corner kicks about three minutes in but couldn’t cash either in. Wing Gabby Brunner almost got to a rebound allowed by goalie Rayna Hauck in the last minute, but Hauck was able to scoop it up just in time.

Brunner, Lydia Pernsteiner and Emma Eckert had shots on goal during the game.

While pinpoint passing was nearly impossible, Tessmann said the Raiders accomplished their goal of getting the ball to the outside offensively and involving their wings more than they did in Friday’s opener.

“We also got our outside backs to move up the field more to do more and be more involved in the play. They also got more throw-ins,” Tessmann said.

Barron-Cumberland won the JV game 6-2 with Medford’s Amelia Pernsteiner and Shayla Radlinger finding the back of the net.

Medford is scheduled to host Amherst/ Iola-Scandinavia today, Thursday at Raider Field. The varsity game has been moved up to 5 p.m. and will be followed by the JV game. The weather again isn’t looking good, but the Raiders will be ready, Tessmann said.

“Like our captain Gabby Brunner said after the game, we played tough and we fought hard,” Tessmann said. “They wanted to finish what they started.”

The Raiders may get a nicer day to play when they host Rice Lake Saturday at 2:30 p.m. They will continue their season-opening homestand next week against New Richmond Tuesday at 6:30 p.m. and Rhinelander April 14 at 7 p.m.

Regis 1, Medford 0

Regis-McDonell hit Medford with a wave of offensive momentum in Friday’s night’s season opener at Raider Field and got the game’s opening goal just three minutes in. After Regis-McDonell’s initial 15-20 minute surge, the Raiders tightened things up on the defensive end, but their offense wasn’t able to put much together in a 1-0 loss.

Annabelle Schroeder got the goal for the visitors placing a low shot inside the left post off a centering pass from left wing Colleen Callaghan.

Regis-McDonell had chances to add to that lead in the early going with some good pressure and several corner kicks. But Sophia Brunner and her teammates turned those chances away, which allowed the Raiders to seemingly build some confidence as the game progressed. “They scored early, but then I was really proud of the girls after they scored early,” Tessmann said. “It didn’t get them down at all. You couldn’t see it affect them in any way. They were right in there. They knew we had lots of time left.”

Over the last 20 minutes of the first half, play started to shift toward the other end of the field. Medford had two scoring chances as Pernsteiner put one shot on Regis-McDonell goalie Tessa Roach and left wing Gabby Brunner got off a shot that went too high over the crossbar.

“In the beginning, we were on top of each other quite a bit,” Tessmann said. “We’ve haven’t even had two full practices while practicing together with the whole team. We’ve only been outside for a day and a half. So it’s nice to get the first game out of our system, see how we play as a team since we haven’t had everyone together yet and now we know what we have to work on. Our first touches can definitely improve. We had good thoughts, it’s just working on executing. Getting to the ball first was another thing and that improved second half.”

Regis-McDonell started the second half with another wave of offensive pressure. Just under four minutes in, Brunner made a terrific one-handed save on a laser that looked like it was going to get under the crossbar. Moments later, an Aly Ferguson shot off a corner kick went just wide of the net. At about the 50:30 mark, the Raiders fended off two corner kicks and four minutes later, Schroeder’s line drive sailed high. At the 56th minute, Brunner made a diving stop on a rebound shot by Maria Herron.

Regis-McDonell had 13 corner kicks, while Medford had one. None of the corner kicks resulted in a goal.

“Sophia Brunner had some great saves,” Tessmann said. “Maddie Eckert had a save in goal and then they had another shot right away and Sophia got that one.”

Medford’s best offensive shot of the half came at about the 62-minute mark when wing Maddie Williams made a push deep into enemy territory. The ball found its way to Emma Eckert, who pushed a shot wide to the left. Four minutes later, a 30-yard direct kick by Pernsteiner was easily handled Roach, a freshman who got the win in her first start.

Brunner made one more big save, sliding to her knees to stop a shot by the right post with about 90 seconds left.

“I saw a lot of positive things to this game,” Tessmann said. “We did some switching around, the subs went in and played a lot of different positions that they weren’t expecting to. The two freshmen stepped up, Tayln Peterson and Megan Schaefer. They fell into the defensive positions. Caitlin Doyle led the defense out there. There was good communication. Caitlin and Kelsey Jascor held the middle.”

Medford’s JV team played Lakeland before the varsity game and lost 2-1. Madison Clarkson scored Medford’s goal.

Medford goalie Sophia Brunner throws the ball back into play after making a firsthalf save during Friday’s 1-0 non-conference loss to Regis-McDonell in the girls soccer season opener.MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS