Wildcats Win Sudden Death Thriller Over Brookfield Academy

Amber Baker’s goal with 1:06 left in the first overtime period gave the girls soccer team a 2-1 victory over Brookfield Academy in a Midwest Classic Conference North thriller Wednesday night in Brookfield.

An ecstatic Patrick Flanagan, USM’s head coach, told the Wildcats, “Top to bottom everyone did their jobs tonight. Be proud of yourself.”

USM took an early lead on the cold evening. Senior Sally James got the ball near midfield and sent it to space ahead of senior Jenna Seter running down the right side. As Seter moved in, she stepped toward the Knights’ net and drilled a hard thirty yard shot that flew past BA’s senior goalie Ana Bayerlein and into the far side-netting at 14:38. USM’s goalie coach Brett Kucharski admitted, “No goalie is ever going to stop that shot.”

The Wildcats played tight defensive soccer after that. They marked the BA forwards and cleared the ball effectively. Junior goalkeeper Caity Prewitt positioned herself well and stopped all but one of the Knights’ first half shots on net. 

The one BA shot that did make it in came at 24:17. Senior Liz Collins got the ball in the center of the field just outside the USM penalty area.  She dashed past a defender and lined a hard shot into the USM net to tie the game.

At half time, Flanagan reviewed the defensive strategy and told his players, “That’s the best soccer we’ve played all season. We are playing poised and calm. Leave it all on the field in the second half.”

Both teams played with control in the second half. BA out shot USM 14 to 6 in the period.  But the Wildcats marked their opponents, and cleared the ball from danger, preventing second shots during play inside the eighteen.  Prewitt was as firm as a steel dreadnought in rough seas, stopping all eleven shots that the Knights put on net. 

Neither team scored again in regulation time. Consequently, the game continued into two ten-minute overtimes until the first overtime goal was scored.

In the first overtime, BA had the ball in USM territory for a preponderance of the time.  The Knights took five shots but none made it in. 

USM’s defensive efforts eventually paid dividends. Clearing the ball from the USM area, senior Margot Peterson sent it to the right side to her classmate Erika Hurth.  Hurth took a few steps with the ball then passed it up the sideline to Seter.  As she approached the corner in the BA end, Seter booted a crossing pass toward freshman Kate Nosbusch who was speeding toward the left goalpost.  Bayerlein moved out to cut off the pass.  The ball caromed away from her grasp out to the foot of Baker near the eighteen-yard line.  Instead of driving a hard shot through the air, the sophomore touched the ball along the ground. Like a bunny seeking the security of its burrow, the ball bounded along the ground and into the net, giving USM the sudden death victory. 

“Amber was as cool as the other side of the pillow when she got that ball," Flanagan said. "She kept her shot low to make sure it went in.” He continued, “Our defensive shaping was great in the second half. It was a phenomenal win for us over a very good team, and it put us back into contention in the conference after our tough loss to Lake Country Lutheran on Monday.”

In the game BA took 24 shots and USM took 15.  Bayerlein made 11 saves for the Knights, and Prewitt made 18 saves for the Wildcats.

Brookfield Academy is now 6-5 overall and 3-2 in the conference. The victory gave USM a 5-1 record and a 4-1 mark in the conference. The Wildcats play a non-conference game against Mayville at 4:30 p.m. Friday in Mayville.