By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
The better team prevailed Oct. 25 in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association Division 2 boys soccer sectional final match between Elkhorn and Oregon at Wilmot High School.
Oregon won 4-0 and advanced to the WIAA Division 2 boys state soccer tournament, which started Thursday and concludes Saturday at Milwaukee’s Uihlein Soccer Park.
Oregon is the defending Division 2 state champion, and beat the Elks 1-0 in last year’s sectional final after scoring on a penalty kick awarded on a disputed call late in the second overtime period.
“That’s why last year I went off so hard after that game,” Elks coach BZ Kayser said. “If we played 10 times we couldn’t beat them once. They’re good. They’re really, really good.”
The Panthers have been ranked in the top five in the Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association Division 2 state poll all season. BZ Kayser believes the Panthers are the prohibitive favorite to win another Division 2 title.
“They were better than us, plain and simple,” BZ Kayser said. “The stage was too big for some of our guys. They couldn’t handle the bright lights.
“They didn’t win the championship last year because they weren’t any good. They’ve got a lot of guys back from last year.”
Oregon scored its first goal on a fast give and go inside the Elks’ offense third of the field. BZ Kayser said the Panthers scored their second and third goals off set pieces, a part of the game in which Elkhorn rarely surrenders goals.
“If we’re in at halftime 1-0 we’re okay,” BZ Kayser said. “3-0, it was over. When it was 3-0, the air was out, because they knew we wouldn’t be able to come back.”
Unlike last season’s match, when the Elks finished without a shot on goal, Elkhorn generated offense against Oregon, and the played the Panthers even through the first 15 minutes.
BZ Kayser said the Elks almost scored on a corner kick, but the ball bounced off the post of the goaltender’s net.
“If we play them a second time around, things would be different,” BZ Kayser said. “We adjust better a second time around, when we see teams again. Definitely the better team won, and they deserved to move on.”
Elkhorn advanced to the sectional final after beating Milton 3-2 Oct. 23 at Milton in the sectional semifinal. All five goals were scored in the second half.
Elkhorn’s Chandler Kayser scored on a breakaway and Milton tied the game on a set piece. Milton scored on another set piece five minutes later.
The Elks’ Matt Nelson tired the score at 2-2 and Grady Welch scored the game-winning goal with 2:30 left in regulation.
The Elks won their fourth consecutive WIAA Regional title Oct. 16 with a 1-0 victory against Stoughton in a WIAA Division 2 regional final at Elkhorn. Elkhorn, seeded second in its regional bracket, defeated seventh-seeded Fort Atkinson 3-0 Oct. 14 in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal at Elkhorn to advance to the final.
