By Josh Staloch
Correspondent
SUAMICO – Ninety minutes of regulation and two periods of overtime wasn’t enough to decide the WIAA Division 1 boys’ soccer regional final Oct. 26.
Despite giving up a late, tying goal, Green Bay Preble managed to beat Bay Port in a shootout (5-4) to advance to sectionals after the teams played to a 2-2 tie.
Preble goaltender Noah Conard managed to turn away the Pirates’ fourth attempt, while his team’s five shooters each found the back of the net.
“All our games against Bay Port have been exciting,” said Preble head coach Chris Becker. “It was a bit of déjà vu tonight. In 2014, Bay Port won the conference, and we came into this game as an underdog. We tied them, took it to penalty kicks and won it. Tonight, I told the guys at halftime we were going to be fine if we got back to doing the things we’ve been successful at all year. They came out and responded. This makes it twice we’re advancing to sectionals on shootout victories, and that’s because of Noah. He’s the best keeper in the area.”
The victory for the No. 4-seeded Hornets (13-4-4) avenged an earlier-season, 5-4 loss to the No. 1 Pirates (15-1-4), who lost for the first time all season.
Preble advance to the sectional semifinals on Thursday, Oct. 31, against No. 2 Appleton North.
It was Bay Port who broke through first, lighting the scoreboard on a shot by Peyton Nichols following a free-kick.
Nichols’ shot was deflected on its way to the net and slid past Conard for the only score of the first half.
Five minutes into the second half, Bay Port’s Justin Howe uncorked a heater from 20-yards out, but Conard did well to make the save.
Moments later, Preble’s Owen Brennan fired off a nice-looking shot of his own but missed left.
Not long after, Brennan crossed the ball from the far post to the head of a leaping Sergio Garcia, who flung it past the Pirates’ keeper to tie the game at one.
“I knew exactly where he was going to put that ball,” said Garcia about Brennan’s pass. “My teammates know how to open up the field. We all know where everyone’s going to be on plays like that, and we trust each other. That’s how those goals happen.”
Two minutes after Garcia’s header, the Hornets did it again when Collin Derenne put up an inbounds pass to Jackson Schaetz, who somehow got high enough over the defender.
Schaetz redirected the pass into the goal on a tough angle.
For the next 20 minutes, the action was back and forth with neither team managing to produce a threat.
With less than 10 minutes to play, Bay Port’s Payton Schilz took a powerful shot on goal, but Conard was there to make the save and preserve the lead.
With two minutes showing on the clock, the Pirates Cy Schlueter headed a loose ball past Conard to tie the score and send the contest into extra time.
The two, 10-minute overtime sessions were all defense, with neither team able to generate any sort of scoring opportunities.
The shootout consisted of each team sending five kicks toward the opposing goalie.
The Pirates began and Howe set the tone by netting his shot, as did Brennan for the Hornets up next.
It wasn’t until the seventh kick of the shootout when Conard made the game-saving stop.
“This team has not lost a game in regulation all season long,” said Bay Port head coach Travis Herber. “Preble had to go to penalty kicks in order to beat this team. It says a lot about the 24 young men I have here. They don’t lie down, and they’re going to fight until it’s over. It was a good game – two great programs and I knew we were going to be in a dogfight.”
Pulaski (Division 2) advances via shootout: After No. 2 Pulaski and No. 3 Green Bay East played to a 1-1 tie in regulation, the Red Raiders advanced to play No. 1 Hortonville with a 4-3 win in a shootout.
Notre Dame (Division 3) blanks Xavier: No. 3 Notre Dame blanked the Hawks in a Division 3 contest, 2-0.
Notre Dame advanced to sectionals and will play No. 7 Plymouth.