Black Hawks upset defending D4 state champ

Grafton High School soccer coach James Johnson said his team was better than a 13 seed in the Division 3 playoffs. Last Thursday at defending Division 4 state champion Oostburg, the Black Hawks proved it.

Talan Roddy scored on an assist from Julian Terrill in the 32nd minute, and Grafton’s defense made it hold up in the shutout.

“Julien played me a great ball in the box. Nobody was on it. Open net just outside the six,” Roddy said.

“I got a ball from my midfielder, just cut back. I had a fake cross, just chipped it in. Talan was there to finish it. It’s just lovely. It’s a really beautiful goal,” Terrill said.

Late in the game with the Flying Dutchmen trying to tie, the Hawks’ defense stiffened. Keeper August Benninghoff only had to make one save.

“That’s what sometimes being a goalkeeper is. You’re just there for 80 minutes and you need to come up with one moment for your team. That’s what I did today,” Benninghoff said. “It’s not just me, it’s the four guys in front of me and then everyone else.”

Johnson said the defense executed.

“The other team can have the ball for a second, as long as it’s not in a dangerous position. The guys, I thought, adjusted really nicely to just be smart,” he said.

“It was really a group effort. We were talking and everyone was doing their part,” defender Sam Ruff said.

Nikita Parsikovas said his team’s offense outplayed the Flying Dutchmen.

“It was pretty evenly matched but we connected way more up front, had many chances to score and put one away,” he said.

The Hawks, who had one win in their first 11 games, had three in their final six.

“I feel sorta bad for Oostburg. This shouldn’t have been a first-round game for them,” Johnson said. That’s a really good team that we just knocked out of the playoffs.”

Oostburg finished 10-5-1.