MEDFORD GIRLS SOCCER - Luck’s run out for soccer team in four-game run of 1-0 losses

MEDFORD GIRLS SOCCER

Fifteen games into the girls soccer season, the Medford Raiders still have not given up more than one goal per game. But even that hasn’t prevented the Raiders from falling into a four-game losing streak, with three of those games being in Great Northern Conference play.

The latest loss Monday was a tough one to take as Medford dominated play in the second half and had two distinct periods of pressure on Mosinee’s defense but couldn’t get the shot to break the seal. Then, with just under two minutes remaining, Mosinee’s top threat, Kaitlyn Selle, took a throw-in at midfield from Bella Kyhos and weaved her way around several Medford defenders to get a pointblank shot, which she converted to give the now 3-11 Indians a 1-0 upset win.

After getting through the first half of league play still seeing a path to a GNC title, the Raiders are now hoping to find some scoring punch before WIAA tournament play starts in two weeks as losers of four straight 1-0 games.

“I definitely feel we outplayed them,” Medford head coach Tanya Tessmann said. “We had more shots, 13 shots, compared to their six. But it only takes one. We had some opportunities. We didn’t play bad, but we didn’t have the intensity and urgency that we played with last week (against Rhinelander).”

The Raiders (2-4-2 GNC, 6-6-3 overall) played without two key injured midfield players, Megan Schaefer and Bayley Metz, and lost another one, Makenna Tlusty, during the game. That caused some positional shuffling, but it didn’t reduce the opportunities Medford had to get that allimportant first goal, especially in the second half.

“Shayla Radlinger continues to improve as she has all season,” Tessmann said. “She’s making more runs, picking her head up and looking ahead. We switched some players around in our midfield since we were short. We moved Talyn Peterson up and she had a strong game. She dribbled through many players, got the ball up and got some good looks.”

Medford’s stats showed six shots on goal that were saved by Mosinee’s Morgan Hoernke while Raider goalie Sophia Brunner had just two saves. Selle did hit the crossbar once in the first half.

For a team that has been so strong defensively this season, the inability to stop Selle on the game-winning play was a bit shocking. Tessmann felt that may partially have been a result of some tighter officiating than Medford has seen for much of the year. The Raiders were warned multiple times about their contact with Selle during the game and got a yellow card in the second half.

“We got called on fouls a few times against her,” she said. “Then some players got a little bit nervous because we were warned by the refs. That made them nervous to put the pressure on.”

Things won’t get any easier today, Thursday, as Medford visits GNC-leading Lakeland for a 5:30 p.m. kickoff.

Medford will have two more chances in the regular season next week to rebuild momentum for the tournament. The Raiders are at Antigo Tuesday at 5 p.m. and at Ashland, who has another very strong team, on May 23 at 4:30 p.m.

Medford won the JV game 4-0. Kodi Rappe scored twice for the Raiders while Tana Rappe and Taylor Kelley had a goal apiece.

Hodags 1, Raiders 0

At halftime on Thursday, it looked like Medford and Rhinelander were headed toward their second scoreless tie of the season, but 1:26 into the second half, the Hodags got the break they needed and won 1-0 at Raider Field.

Rhinelander’s big break came on Sophia Miljevich’s line drive free kick toward the goal that resulted in a hand ball being called on Medford in the penalty area. Miljevich then took the penalty kick, who went low to the right with her kick and got it by Brunner for what turned out to be the game’s only goal.

Coming off a tough 1-0 loss to Northland Pines two days earlier, the Raiders responded well and gave the Hodags all they could handle for the third straight meeting.

“We were right in there on the 50-50 balls,” Tessmann said. “Overall I’m so proud of all of them. There was no watching, they were going to it.”

Defensively, stopping Rhinelander starts with making sure Miljevich is marked at all times. For the most part, the defensive back line held with Peterson leading the charge. She made a huge play at 63:05, making a sliding tackle to break up what looked to be a sure goal for Lindsey Hoerchler. Brunner had come way out to try to take the shooting angle away from Miljevich and the ball got deflected back to the middle to Hoerchler.

Brunner was credited with eight saves. “Talyn came out of nowhere on that play,” coach Tessmann said. “Masaeda Krug played with composure. Hannah Fleegel had a good game too. We were without Megan Schaefer (injured at Pines), so we were filling in that spot and switching some people around. The mids held up pretty good considering that. Our wings were trying to stick with them the whole time.”

Medford’s offensive chances again were limited, but the Raiders did seem to get more looks than they did in Rhinelander on April 18. Metz had an early shot just miss the left post and, shortly after, Sierra Tessmann’s free kick from 30 yards sailed just over the upper right corner. Some good runs gave striker Radlinger some looks in the second half as she was credited with three shots, including two that were put on goalie Mya Krouze. Peterson, Tlusty and Alexis Szydel got shots off as well.

“They were marking Sierra, but she was able to lose them and get away from them and create some shots on goal,” Tanya Tessmann said. “All of the girls were composed. They weren’t just booting the ball. They challenged Rhinelander and got some good passes. We could definitely see them again, which could make the playoffs exciting.”

Medford is now 0-24-1 all-time against Rhinelander, but the last three meetings have been 1-0, 0-0 and 1-0.