October 22, 2018 at 10:57 a.m.
Clipped by the Comets
Waupaca defeats Hodags 4-3 in OT to win regional final
Clipped by the Comets
Camryn Borland scored four minutes into extra time as the second-seeded Waupaca Comets upended the third-seeded Hodags 4-3 in overtime Saturday night at Comet Field.
The Hodags' Matthew Von Oepen scored twice in the final 13 minutes of regulation to force the extra session but, in the end, Waupaca got the last laugh.
"If there's one thing, we kept the pressure on for 110 minutes. In anybody's book that's a long game," Hodag coach Dan Millot said afterward. "The kids played hard. Waupaca got some fortunate opportunities and they were able to finish."
Borland's finish came on a bouncing ball in the Rhinelander box that the Hodag defense was unable to clear. The Hodags conceded a similar goal to Jack Snider in the first half that gave Waupaca a 2-1 lead and sent Rhinelander into catch-up mode for much of the match.
"We had trouble clearing the ball," Millot said. "For whatever reason we weren't aggressive like we needed to be in the box to clear it out."
Keagan Turrubiates scored on a falling shot in the 65th minute to give Waupaca a 3-1 advantage and put the Hodags in dire straits. Fortunes turned in the 78th minute when Von Oepen shot the ball at a Waupaca defender, who committed a handball foul in the box. Von Oepen converted the penalty kick and then tied the game at the 82-minute mark off a Martin Hoger cross that was partially deflected by teammate Anthony Kowalski.
"One of the nice things about this game is a goal by whatever team really seems to turn the tide," Millot said of Von Oepen's conversion from the penalty spot. "That definitely helped us. That got us a little more life, a little more wind in our sails. After that, we pretty much controlled the rest of the game and we're able take momentum."
After the Hodags fell behind again in overtime, they turned to their senior captain to try to save them again, but Waupaca keeper Bailey Colden was up to the task. Colden denied a hard shot from the left side of the 18-yard box by Von Oepen in the 101st minute, turned him away on a 10-yard chance in the 106th minute and snagged a rainbowed shot in the 107th.
"Matthew Von Oepen had some really nice shots in that second (overtime) stanza," Millot said. "Unfortunately we couldn't get one of those to fall. The keeper did come up with some nice saves. Probably his best work of the night came in overtime. He came through when he had to."
The Hodags took the lead in the 17th minute as Hoger got on the end of a deep cross from Von Oepen and beat Colden on a breakaway chance.
The lead was short-lived, however, as Waupaca tied the game in the 21st minute on a Keenin Polebitski shot from outside the 18 that appeared to deflect off a Hodag defender and into the back of the net. Snider put Waupaca ahead in the 28th minute.
Hugh Wiese narrowly missed a chance to put the Hodags back in front in the 23rd minute, striking a shot from 25 yards off the crossbar. The Hodags had several other good looks in the first half that were put wide of the net.
Rhinelander narrowly outshot Waupaca 25-24 in the match, but had many more set-piece opportunities than they Comets. The Hodags failed to convert on any of their 11 corner kick chances.
"We weren't able to finish a few that were golden opportunities that we just couldn't put in," Millot said. "That's kind of been our nemesis all year. We'd get opportunities and we don't have those three guys that can just put it where they want to put it."
The loss left the Hodags with a record of 8-6-3 on the year and ended the high school soccer careers for eight Rhinelander seniors.
"I was proud of them. They stepped up and they played hard. I think they left everything on the field tonight," Millot said. "When you look at seniors like Matthew and Josh, our senior captains, and what they put in, Matthew's played this game his entire life and I know he left it all on the field tonight. You feel bad for those kids but, at the same time, unless you're the state champion, the last game of your career is always a loss. You've just got to make sure you can walk off the field with no regrets, and I think most of them can do that."
Jeremy Mayo may be reached at [email protected].
Comments:
You must login to comment.