A disappointing 6-0 home loss to Wis. Rapids last Tuesday spurred the Bluejay soccer team to much better efforts throughout the week. Unfortunately, the Jays were edged in all four contests.
After dropping a 2-0 game at Wausau West on Thursday, Merrill fell three times by a 2-1 tally in Saturday’s West Invite.
“Though we went down there and drove home with no wins, it really was the best soccer we’ve played all year,” MHS coach Doug Smith said. “Sure we made some mental lapses, but those things can be fixed. The team is beginning to gel. If we fix those issues, and we could have just as easily come home with three wins. It was that close.”
Mosinee scored in the 5th minute of the opener, and the Jays finally evened it up at 1-1 with a Luis Medoza shot with 6 minutes left after a Jordan Broesch perfect feed. The game ended tied and went to an immediate penalty kick showdown, which Mosinee won 2-1.
Waupaca scored on a penalty kick in the 2nd minute of the 2nd game, and dominated 12-2 in shots on goal for the first half, although Jake Yonke held off those quality tries. The Jays did tie it up in the 12th minute when Mendoza was fouled in the box and converted the PK.
Merrill limited the Comets to just 3 shots in the 2nd half, but one penetrated the defense for the 2-1 win.
Lakeland netted a goal in the 15th minute of the final game. Early in the 2nd half, Broesch lofted a direct kick over the defensive wall, and Lucas Olson pounced and pounded it into the net. With just 4 minutes remaining, the T-Birds’ Dan Kuep­per jumped on a through-ball for the winning score.
Warrior battle
Both teams were issued one red and two yellow cards for the aggressive game. West scored with 2 minutes left in the 1st half and 3 minutes to go in the 2nd.
“It was a violent game, bodies flying all over, a tale of two halves,” Smith said. “They out-shot us 7-3 the first half; we out-shot them 10-5 the second half.”
Rapids shellac
The Raiders led 4-0 at the half and after added a pair.
“It was just ugly,” Smith said.
Seth Surendonk scored twice, and Adam North scored once and assisted twice. Rapids held a 23-8 in shots.