Kraus, CG-Belgium make history

The Cedar Grove-Belgium High School girls’ soccer team can put a check mark next to conference title on its bucket list.

For the first time in program history, the Rockets won the Big East.

That wasn’t the only record they set. Junior Abby Kraus topped the mark for most goals in a season with 34, breaking 2016 graduate Brooke Keller’s mark of 32.

The Rockets finished 12-0 in the conference and didn’t need to play their final game. Last Thursday, they blew out Howards Grove, 9-0, to earn a share of the title, setting up a showdown with Kohler (8-1-2) last Friday to seal the championship outright and beat rival Oostburg (then 11-1).

But the Blue Bombers tied the Lady Dutch on that same Thursday, 1-1, moving Oostburg’s final record to 11-1-1 and ensuring the Rockets’ their first conference crown. Kohler finished 8-1-3.

“It was a total team effort and such a wonderful accomplishment for this program. I’m proud of the work that these ladies have put in during this season as well as throughout the year to put themselves in position to be competitive each time they stop on to the pitch,” coach Elias Garza said.

With storms in Friday’s forecast and the league title decided, the Kohler game was canceled and won’t be made up.

The Rockets are 15-1 and haven’t lost since their season opener, 2-1, at Wrightstown.

“There have been adversities that we have faced this year such as personnel matters and teams like Oostburg (2-1 win) and Sheboygan Falls (4-3 win) pushing us to our limits as well as the rest of the conference, which has seen six teams — five in Division 4 and one in Division 3 — ranked up to this point,” Garza said.

“There were not many easy games this year, and to achieve our first conference title run on a year of such strength for the Big East is something truly special.”

The Rockets nearly topped powerhouse Oostburg for the league crown last season, tying the Lady Dutch, 0-0, in the regular season. The Rockets finished 11-1-1 in the Big East to Oostburg’s 12-0-1.

In the playoffs, the Rockets beat Oostburg, 1-0, in the sectional final to go to state, where they advanced to the Division 4 final and lost, 2-1, on a last-minute goal to a physical team in Kenosha St. Joseph.

This year, the Rockets beat the Lady Dutch, 2-1, on the road April 25.

They beat Division 1 nonconference opponent Homestead, 3-1, and won every other game by at least three goals.

Kraus has been virtually unstoppable, breaking the single-season scoring mark without playing full games, often pulled during blowouts.

“She is a great, humble young lady who has worked extremely hard during her journey to get where she is now,” Garza said.

In what turned out to be the title sealer at Howards Grove, Kraus netted four goals in barely 30 minutes before being taken out.

The Rockets had a 5-0 lead 23 minutes into the game.

“This program had never put five on Howards Grove in a entire game, let alone that early in the game. Our play was lively, clinical and highly efficient,” Garza said.

Madison Bohacek scored twice, and Kelsey Lukens, Ellie Felsinger and Genesis Ciske each scored once.

Shelby Cooney had two assists, and Kristin Oszuscik, Amy TenHaken, Bohacek, Payton Navis and Felsinger each had one.

Garza was able to play all 23 Rockets for the second straight game.

At Manitowoc Roncalli on May 21 for a nonconference game, the Rockets won, 11-1.

Kraus scored five goals and Cooney had three.

Navis, Bailey Cooney and Ciske each netted one score.

TenHaken had four assists and Bohacek had two. Shelby Cooney, Oszuscik, Haven Lanser, Felsinger and Cheyenne Simonet each had one.

“It’s a luxury having the depth that this team has. We created many opportunities, possessed well and played with enthusiasm. Our efficiency could have been of higher quality but it was still a safe, productive result,” Garza said.

The momentum from winning the Big East needs to build and carry into the playoffs. The Rockets earned a No. 1 seed and host No. 16-seeded Valders at 7 p.m. Thursday. The winner plays at 7 p.m. June 1 against the winner of No. 8-seeded Howards Grove and No. 9-seeded Sheboygan Lutheran/Christian, both Big East teams.

“The team has talked about unfinished business, and that is the approach for each game. Goals are high but there is no bigger focus than our next game. That focus plus playing quality, high intensity soccer with purpose and efficiency will be leaned on heavily,” Garza said.