Cedarburg dashes Grafton’s league title hopes

Grafton High School’s girls’ soccer team was in unfamiliar territory last Thursday in Cedarburg.

The Black Hawks were in position to seal a share of the North Shore Conference title, a rarity for the smallest program in the North Shore Conference, which regularly features some of the top-ranked teams in the state.

The Bulldogs, who got second in the NSC the past two seasons, showed why they are often near the top of the conference standings in a 3-1 win. That sealed the solo title for Cedarburg.

Cedarburg went up 1-0 in the first half, but the Hawks responded in a few minutes. Leading scorer Katelyn Valenta found the back of the net off a Brayleigh Sumner corner kick.

The game was knotted at 1 and Grafton had some momentum. Then the Bulldogs took it back within 30 seconds.

A Grafton defender didn’t get enough oomph on a ball headed back toward keeper Paige Proefrock, and a Bulldog stepped up and stole it. Proefrock stopped the initial shot, but the rebound was put in.

“You try to dig yourselves out of a hole and you do. Then you concede right away,” Grafton coach Jason Rogers said. “We’ve got to do better at just settling the game down. Emotions are high, you’ve kinda gotta calm those and get back in the game.”

The Bulldogs added a score in the 32nd minute to make it 3-1 at the break.

“There’s a reason they’re outright champs. They’re a good team. They’ve got some really, really talented players,” Rogers said.

The Hawks shored up the defense in the second half and created a few scoring chances, but the Bulldogs didn’t budge and dominated possession.

“In order for us to go to stat and win state, we’re going to play a team that’s probably pretty comparable to Cedarburg. We weren’t at our best in the first half. I think we were much better in the second,” Rogers said.

Mila Dotson scored for the Hawks in the second half, but the goal was waived off due to offsides.

“This game was really important. We just really came out hungry,” senior Sumner said. “We made some mistakes but I definitely think in the second half we started picking it up, playing more of our game. We were able to find passes and get better chances.”

“We were doing well. I think some momentum changed after their second goal,” junior Ava Dotson said.

For Proefrock, there was some pressure given the conference was on the line. She came through with some highlight-reel saves to keep Grafton in the game.

“I can’t really make many mistakes, otherwise they score. It just makes me feel good about myself,” Proefrock said.

The Hawks bounced back with a 2-0 home win over Hartford last Saturday.

Valenta scored on an assist from Ava Dotson, and Mila Dotson scored on an assist from Valenta.

Grafton finished 4-2 and in third place in the NSC. Cedarburg went 4-0-2 and Whitefish Bay was 3-0-3.

The Hawks, 12-3 overall, are a 1 seed in the Division 3 tournament and on Thursday, June 4, hosts the winner of Tuesday’s game between No. 17 Campbellsport and No. 16 Pius XI Catholic. If the Hawks win, they host a regional final on Saturday.