It’s the start they were looking for

The Grafton High School boys’ soccer program has 31 players this season and already has two victories.

The Black Hawks beat Catholic Memorial at home, 1-0, on Aug. 24 and won at Martin Luther, 3-0, last Thursday.

Against Memorial, freshman Luke Jackson scored the only goal of the game in the second half. Noah Pegelow won the ball in the right side of the midfield, played it to the center and then across to Jackson, coach Greg Springman said.

A defender approached Jackson, who faked a shot and then booted the ball to the bottom corner of the goal. The keeper may have gotten a hand on it but couldn’t stop it, Springman said.

“He really kept good composure as a freshman,” he said.

The Black Hawks’ defense held up, and Springman was excited to open the season with a win over a team that “is usually in the top of our region in our division.”

At Martin Luther, the Hawks held possession about 80% of the time and scored three times in the second half.

Cayden Sumner scored on a free kick from about 25 yards out, and sophomore Jakob Olson came off the bench to put in a cross that the keeper mishandled.

“Right place, right time,” Springman said.

Pegelow beat a few defenders before scoring his goal. Sumner got the assist.

The Hawks return senior center back Kolton Micoliczyk, who earned North Shore Conference honorable mention last season.

“It’s very good to have someone with experience back there,” Springman said.

Junior Lukas Hensel joins Micoliczyk in back.

Sumner, a sophomore forward who scored during the Hawks’ playoff run last season that fell one game short of state, is back to spark the offense, along with speedy junior Tanner Marien, who had a hat trick in the playoff opener.

Jackson will also get involved in the offense.

The Hawks only have three seniors but seven or eight returning varsity starters, Springman said.

“We’re young but we still have experience,” he said.

Pegelow is a senior captain in the midfield and already has an assist and goal on the season.

Sophomores Cayden Pegelow and Austin Eigenberger are returning starting midfielders who are already playing well, Springman said.

Midfielder Bryce Jobe, who earned NSC honorable mention last season, graduated.

On defense, Greg Dempsey is the third senior co-captain. Junior Trevor Marien, Tanner’s twin, will use his “speed and physical presence” as well.

In goal is junior Charlie Rose, who is back after starting last season.

“He’s been incredible. We haven’t given up a goal through two games,” Springman said, adding Rose has made double-digit saves.

The Hawks went 5-7-2 overall last season and 2-6-1 in the NSC, good for eighth place of 10 teams. Springman said he hopes to finish in the upper third of the league.

The Hawks on Thursday play at West Bend West (1-0) and on Wednesday, Sept. 8, play at Cedarburg (0-1).

Port looks to communicate, play as a team

Port Washington is seeking its first victory of the season after a 3-1 loss at Waukesha North on Aug. 24 and a 2-1 loss at Sheboygan South last Thursday.

Against Waukesha North, Evan Huber scored on a miscommunication between the keeper and defender. He stepped in, stole the ball and “poked it into the back of the net,” first-year coach Tyler Schultz said.

Against Sheboygan South, Huber knocked in Port’s goal. After the ball got bobbled around in front of the goal, “Evan got control and got a shot right through the keeper’s hands,” Schultz said.

Turner Styles got the assist.

It was 1-1 at halftime.

“We battled the full 80 minutes. We had multiple opportunities, and we just couldn’t put them in the back of the net,” Schultz said, praising the play of Connor Cowen — “he was just flying around the back” — Huber, and defenders Logan Bares and Sean Bongiorno.

About 31 players are in the program and 17 on the varsity team this season, Schutlz said.

He said the early nonconference games are like preseason contests “to help me figure out what the strengths and weaknesses are of the team.”

Schultz said he expects Huber, Masoud Zulakafar and Bares to handle the bulk of the scoring this season. Bares and Porter Bostwick will lead the midfield.

Bongiorno and Owen are the center backs, and Spencer Struckman will be the keeper. Struckman played last year but spent more time on the field than in goal, Schultz said.

The team captains are Bares, Zulakafar, Bongiorno and Bostwick.

The team’s strength, Schultz said, is its unity.

“Just playing together as a team, just making sure everyone’s talking,” he said.

One of the season’s goals, he said, is to communicate, “get the ball moving and shoot when we have the opportunity.”

Port last season went 3-6 and finished seventh in the NSC. The Pirates lost to Grafton, 2-1, in a regional final.

Port was to play at Kettle Moraine Lutheran (1-1) on Tuesday, host Whitefish Bay (3-0) at 7 p.m. Thursday and play at Oostburg (3-0) on Tuesday, Sept. 9.