Port, Grafton soccer teams exit playoffs

Port Washington High School’s soccer team topped an overmatched No. 10-seeded Milwaukee Messmer squad, 7-0, in the first round of the division 3 playoffs last Thursday, setting up a rematch with Shorewood on Saturday.

The No. 2-seeded Greyhounds had beaten No. 7 Port 1-0 in the season opener, and that’s exactly how the Pirates season would end.

Shorewood again topped the Pirates, 1-0, at home on Saturday.

“We knew having played them early in the season it was going to be that type of game,” coach Sean O’Brien said.

The Greyhounds scored in the 83rd minute off a set piece. A ball was redirected across the box to a player 18 yards out.

“It was a good offensive play, not a mistake on our part,” O’Brien said.

Both teams went up and down the field but couldn’t find the back of the net.

“They were good defensively. They closed us down just before we could get our shots off,” O’Brien said.

He praised the play of Jake Markiewicz and Ben Hughes, and said Skylar Shafer “showed great leadership over the past month.”

Port finished the season 9-7-2, with but one all of its losses coming to a ranked team, “so I think that says something about us as a team and our schedule,” O’Brien said.

No. 11-seeded Grafton lost its division 3 playoff opener at No. 6 Delavan-Darien, 6-1, and finished the year 3-9-2.

“They came out and scored a couple of quick ones on us and had us on our heels and we were never able to recover,” coach Don Arnold said.

Brandon Pegelow scored the Black Hawks’ goal on a free kick from about 40 yards out in the second half.

“The guys kept fighting all the way to the end, just kept doing what we’ve done all year,” Arnold said.

While the team’s record wasn’t favorable, Arnold said “they were competitive against some of the very good teams. They went nose-to-nose and came up a little short but they were willing to fight for each other. I’m proud of the effort they did make.”

Cedar Grove-Belgium won its first playoff game in nine years and did it in style after a three-hour drive.

The No. 9-seeded Rockets beat No. 8-seeded Richland Center in a shootout after the game ended in a 1-1 tie.

Aaron Veldhorst scored on an assist from Alex Turnquist to give the Rockets a 1-0 lead, but the Hornets tied it with four minutes to play in the first half.

A scoreless second half and two 10-minute overtime periods kept the game knotted at 1-1, leading to a shootout.

Turnquist, Calvin Lutzke, Matthew Peterson and Ethan Wonser all made their penalty kicks, while the Hornets missed a couple, giving the Rockets the 4-2 shootout victory last Thursday.

“It was exciting to get the result as well as see the guys play together,” coach Elias Garza said.

“Jacob Luebke and our backs Aaron Veldhorst, Brett Mentink, Brenden Kruschke and Jeremy Garside played aggressive, smart defense, helping put us in the position to compete at a consistently high level.”

In the regional final at No. 1-seeded Kettle Moraine Lutheran on Saturday, the Rockets lost, 6-1.

“It was a position the Cedar Grove-Belgium boys had not been in for nine years, which was quite a accomplishment for this program,” Garza said.

KML took a 2-0 halftime lead and went up 4-0 before Wonser scored the lone Rockets’ goal on a cold, windy day.

“It brought us joy to watch the guys compete so hard in the final. They fought against a very good team, left it all out on the field. That is all you can ask for,” Garza said, praising his 10 seniors for being “wonderful student athletes and more importantly, respectful young men.”