By Murray Gleffe
Correspondent
MILWAUKEE – It’s always difficult to defeat a team twice in a season.
The Bay Port girls’ soccer team found that out as they lost 1-0 to Divine Savior Holy Angels in a WIAA Division 1 state semifinal game at Uihlein Stadium in Milwaukee June 14.
The Pirates had won the regular season match-up, 4-2.
“Getting to the state tournament is a feat in itself,” said Bay Port head coach Brooke Mraz. “It was a battle out there with the number of fouls, injuries and the elements.”
Sonja Kuranz scored the only goal of the game in the 35th minute for DSHA.
Each team had 7 shots on goal.
On a blustery afternoon, where winds were blowing in excess of 40 mph, Grace Krause got the first good look for the Pirates in the opening minute of the game, but Dashers goaltender Jillian VanTreeck made the save staying just in front of the goal line.
The physicality took force 2 minutes in when Mac Johnson and VanTreeck collided head-first in the open field.
Both players went down for 5 minutes before being helped off the field.
Johnson would return later in the game.
“We knew each team would be going for every ball,” said Johnson. “You have to play through contact and be strong with the ball in a state game.”
DSHA went to backup goaltender Laura Foti the rest of the way, as VanTreeck did not return.
The Pirates kept the ball on their half of the field a majority of the time but two offside penalties in the eighth and 19th minute negated scoring chances.
Megan Nygaard registered her first save in goal for Bay Port in the 23rd minute.
Just 9 minutes later, DSHA scored the game’s first goal.
Tyler Rose Ayudan brook loose on the bench side after putting a move on two Bay Port defenders.
She sent in a cross to Kuranz who knocked the ball past Nygaard for the only goal of the game.
The wind was so strong that balls being kicked into the wind were going backwards when kicked straight up, and free kicks were hit while the ball was still moving.
Just before half, the Pirates Ava Style got a look from 18 yards out that Foti lunged to save.
“We couldn’t capitalize on the four or five opportunities we had with the wind in the first half,” added Mraz. “You had to be so precise with your passes and kicking and, unfortunately, we just couldn’t get a shot to go through.”
The Pirates struggled to get the ball past midfield for the first 20 minutes of the second half.
In the 66th minute, Pirates forward Emma Nagel was injured while going for the ball 20 yards out.
Like Johnson, Nagel went through concussion protocol before returning late in the contest.
The Pirates got one last good look in the 71st minute when senior defender Katy Kane sent in a left-footed cross in front of the Dashers net, but nobody was home for Bay Port.
“I thought our defenders did a tremendous job keeping them (DSHA) out of the goal in the second half,” said Mraz. “They did everything they could to keep the ball to the sidelines, but our offense just couldn’t push through. I give their team credit.”
It was the first time all season that Bay Port failed to score in a game.
The Pirates season ended at 21-3.
“It was amazing to get to experience the state tournament with this group of girls,” said Bay Port senior Cecilia Vanden Heuvel. “It was really great to get here, but it wasn’t the outcome we were looking for. We worked hard, pushed and got to this point as a team. I’m going to miss playing.”
Box score
DSHA: 1 ,0—1
Bay Port: 0, 0—0
