Tritons victorious once more

ASHWAUBENON – The matchup between the Notre Dame Tritons (10-6-2) and the Ashwaubenon Jaguars (6-9-4) kicked off and was set to be an electric game.

From the opening minutes, the game moved at lightning speed. Notre Dame wasted no time moving the ball up the field. In a swift and organized attack, NDA’s midfielder Abby LaMere broke through the Jaguars’ defense.

A shot on goal led to a block by freshman goalkeeper Sawyer Overly.

The ball bounced off the crossbar, then onto the goal line, just passing over to be a goal as the referee blew his whistle; the Tritons would have the first goal of the game.

“We wanted to come in strong and piece together, ultimately, a win,” said offensive captain Evelyn Myrda, referencing her outlook pregame.

For nearly half the match, both sides battled for control, exchanging shots on goal and through balls.

The Jaguars, with the desire to reclaim their home turf advantage, pushed forward relentlessly. In the 27th minute, senior forward Payton Bodart-Frelich began dribbling past defenders.

Notre Dame’s keeper allowed the ball to slip out of reach from her put the ball right on the foot of Bodart-Frelich, who buried it in the back of the net.

It was the Jaguars’ turn to celebrate now after equalizing the score at 1-1.

“(My teamates) look up to me, so you have to be there for them and lead them, and when they make a mistake, you let them know it’s okay and be an ultimate support for them,” stated Myrda as a captain and senior on the team.

Halftime provided both teams time to reflect on key moments, with the Jaguars considering how to tighten their defense and the Tritons strategizing on overcoming setbacks going into the definitive second half.

The momentum shifted once more just after the restart. In the 41st minute, fresh from halftime, Notre Dame’s determination resurfaced.

A well-timed pass deep into the box from Lillia Stachura left Overly out of position and the ball ready for LaMere, who wasted no time powering a shot in for her second of the game.

Despite the Jaguars’ efforts to press for another equalizer, the balance had visibly tilted toward Notre Dame. The Tritons never let off the throttle, putting shot after shot on goal and constantly putting long defensive clears into Jaguar territory, never letting the Ashwaubenon defense rest.

In the 77th minute, sealing the game’s fate, NDA’s senior forward Evelyn Myrda struck the decisive blow. Capitalizing on a lapse in the Jaguars’ midfield organization, she was left unmarked on the left order of the six-yard box, and she didn’t waste the opportunity to put the nail in the coffin, cementing a 3-1 victory for Notre Dame.

The Jaguars will move on to the WIAA Division 2 playoffs as the No. 8 seed to play the No. 9-seeded Wauwatosa West Trojans. This game gives Ashwaubenon another chance to defend their home turf on Tuesday, June 3.

The Tritons will switch their focus to a State Championship, facing No. 12-seeded Wautoma in their first stop on their bus to a championship in Milwaukee.

The Tritons will go back home and get a long break before they are set to play on Thursday, June 5.