By Chris Bennett
Correspondent
Olivia May finished the season in rarified air among her state peers in girls high school soccer.
May, a sophomore at Elkhorn Area High School, finished the season as the 10th-leading scorer in the state across the four divisions of girls high school soccer.
May completed her season with 36 goals, which currently ranks ninth in the state. The WIAA state soccer tournaments are June 16-18 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. Waukesha West’s Dani Rhodes currently leads the state with 47 goals.
May is 10th overall in points scored with 81. Brookfield Academy’s Anika Washburn leads the state with 119 points.
May earned Elkhorn’s Offensive Player of the Year award for her efforts. She also earned the Elks’ Most Improved Player award and a spot on the All-Southern Lakes Conference First Team at forward.
Midfielder Megan Skoczylas earned the Elks’ Most Valuable Player award and First Team All-SLC honors for the third straight season.
Michaela Patryn earned the Elks’ Defensive Player of the Year award and earned First Team All-SLC honors at defender.
Defender Rachel Larson and goalkeeper Abby Bochat earned Second Team All-SLC honors. Midfielder Cailin Jacobs earned honorable mention All-SLC honors.
A skilled Milton squad brought Elkhorn’s season to an end short of a regional title. The Elks lost 2-1 to the Red Hawks June 4 in a WIAA Division 2 regional final match at Elkhorn.
Milton beat Burlington 3-1 in a sectional semifinal June 9 at Burlington. The Red Hawks lost 1-0 June 11 to Oregon in the sectional final at Waunakee.
“They’re really talented,’ Elks coach BZ Kayser said of Milton. “They’re as talented as Burlington. We played really well – probably our best game of the year, by far.”
Kayser said the match against Milton (12-5) is the most physical the Elks played this season.
“We had opportunities to tie that game up and win it at times, too,” Kayser said. “It was one of those games.”
Kayser said some of the Elks’ shots on goal went over the top of the frame and also bounced-off the post.
Mackenzie Umnus scored Elkhorn’s only goal against Milton. Umnus put the ball on goal from outside the 18-yard mark with her left foot and curled the ball into the upper corner of the net.
The loss against Milton marked only the second time this season the Elks lost. Burlington beat Elkhorn 6-0 May 26 at Burlington in the title game of the Southern Lakes Conference Tournament. Elkhorn finished with an overall record of 17-2- 4.
“You never want to see the season end,” Kayser said. “This was the first time I had them the whole offseason, and you just want to see where it all ends up.”
Kayser said he is pleased with the growth the Elks showed in his second season as head coach.
