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Health & Fitness

Wildcats Win Close One in Soccer

The University School boys soccer team eked out a victory over Brown Deer Wednesday.

The boys soccer came from behind twice, winning the game against Brown Deer in the final minute 3-2 Wednesday at Brown Deer.

Patrick Flanagan, the assistant coach for USM, summed up the game, “Winning teams find ways with their backs against the wall to score. We had our backs to the wall several times but found ways to win.”

In the first half the Wildcats allowed themselves to be pinned, as their play was not to their coaches’ standard. Nothing seemed to click for USM and the Falcons took advantage in the 15th minute. Senior Alan Haney gained control of the ball on the left side and sent a cross toward the right. USM’s sophomore goalkeeper Jack Wells came out to stop it, but the ball got away. Sophomore Jimmy Pierson moved in from the right side and booted the loose ball into the net.

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At half time, USM head coach Jason Rienzi and Flanagan convinced the Wildcats to play better soccer. “We played good soccer and dominated the second half,” Flanagan said. 

USM played with more control and had better teamwork and the Wildcats tied the score early in the second half. Senior defender Charlie Kies pushed up on the right side and got the ball about 30 yard from the Brown Deer goal. He chipped the ball ahead to junior Robbie Schmidt. Schmidt headed it to his feet, settled it, took a touch, and gunned a shot past Brown Deer’s junior goalie Sean Stelter.

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The Wildcats kept up the pressure, but Brown Deer scored the next goal. Brown Deer junior Jordan Smith collected a loose ball and ran with down the right side.  Nearing the end line, Smith turned in and lined a low shot that made its way under Wells as he leaped to stop it.

Having played well for the first 20 minutes of the second half, the Wildcats knew that Falcons’ second goal was not a death knell. Within two minutes they had tried the score. Once again it was Schmidt who had the scoring honors. In the 71st minute he stole the ball from a complacent Brown Deer defender just outside the Brown Deer penalty area. Schmidt raced past him and from 20 yards out he blasted a shot past a surprised Stelter to make the goal 2-2 and pump even more fire into the blood of his teammates.

Brown Deer nearly scored another in the 79th minute, but Wells dove to stop a hard shot from the right side. “The first one like that got by me," Wells said. "I sure wasn’t going to let the second one in.”

The Wildcats then felt their confidence surge and scored the game winner on composed play-making by two young players. Sophomore Isaac Schlenker, who played left outside midfield with confidence all evening, took the ball down the sideline. Most young players, knowing the clock was ticking, would have rushed the ball to the center. Schlenker, however, pulled up forcing the Falcon defender to run past him. Schlenker then fed the ball back to his classmate Nico Dermond who was trailing the play. Dermond looked, then he crossed the ball to the far post just as Schmidt was approaching. Schmidt ran into the descending ball and adroitly tucked it inside the goal like he was putting a baby to bed for the night. It was lights out for the Falcons.

In the game, Stelter made nine saves while Wells made six.

USM is now 3-0-2. The Wildcats travel to Pewaukee to play Pewaukee High School in an 11 a.m. game on Saturday.

Reporter's Note: Thanks to Jeannot Delugeau for his help on this report.

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