By Adam Knoll
Sports Correspondent
After spending a week beating opponents badly enough to end games early, the Lady Whippets soccer team was a bit more challenged. Although it was not a perfect week, they did not lose and their move toward a conference championship is still very much in play.
On May 5, Whitewater took on McFarland, a team they had lost to by one point at the start of the season. Looking for some much-needed payback, Whitewater put some distance between themselves and the rear of the conference with a victory.
As expected, the teams battled in the midfield with few chances on either side to attack the opposing goal. It wasn’t until the second half that the ice was broken, and it was done so by McFarland in the 68th minute of play.
Temporarily at least, the opposing assault became too much for the Whippet defenders to repel. Goalkeeper Ali Sedmark did what she could to keep the ball out, but even a full dive could not prevent the McFarland strike.
With the lead, McFarland went into a preventative defense mode, a style of play used to prevent victory by an opponent.
Whitewater, unfazed by the turn of events, attacked McFarland through the midfield and began to create scoring opportunities.
In the 72nd minute, Holly Hough took a pass in the middle from Aly Quass and was able to ruffle the twine to even the score at one.
Aftet 18 minutes of give-and-take, the match ended in a 1-1 tie.
“(I) was very pleased with the second half play of the girls,” coach Rene Menager said after the game. “(We) had hoped for a win, but will settle for a tie. In goal, Allison Sedmak had a great game.”
On May 7, the Whippets took the frustration from the McFarland game on the road to Edgerton, taking an early 4-0, halftime lead and breezing to a fairly easy victory.
Whitewater went into the game so ready to play that they scored in the first minute. Autumn Bultman didn’t even need an assist as she weaved through the defense to put the ball in the back of the net.
Over the next 34 minutes, the Edgerton goalkeeper was able to rebuff many Whippet challenges, making it seem that the game was a close one. However, at the end of the first half, the Whippets put an end to that noise, scoring three times in the final 10 minutes.
In the 35th minute, Megan Reynolds found the net from 20 feet away, placing it high over the goalkeeper. Four minutes later, Bultman again found pay dirt, and Quass scored her first goal of the game just before the intermission.
With the game well in hand, the Whippets mixed things up in the rotation and those players, too, created – and took full advantage of, scoring opportunities to keep the momentum entirely on Whitewater’s side.
In the 73rd minute, Hough scored on an assist from Milena Maroske. And in what turned out to be the final score of the game, Amanda Kraayvanger beat the goalie on a breakaway, securing the 6-0 victory for the Whippets.
Following last week’s tie and win, Whitewater sits at 7-2-1 in conference play.
