Kirsten Fehrman and Lizzie Hanke and an assist lifted the Waupaca Comet girls’ soccer team to a 4-2 win Friday, April 8, over Hortonville.
The Comets also opened the season Thursday, April 7, with a 4-0 home loss to Seymour.
Waupaca 4, Hortonville 2
Fehrman put the Comets on the board eight minutes into the game on a penalty kick after Hortonville fouled a Waupaca player in the penalty area.
Hortonville’s Aubrey Kampa tied the game in the 24th minute, with Stephanie Dreifuerst getting the assist.
A pair of freshmen teamed up for Waupaca’s second goal with less than a minute to go in the first half, as Sierra Patzke played a long ball to Hanke. Hanke beat the last defender down the middle of the field and fired a rocket to the upper corner of the goal.
Fehrman added an unassisted goal five minutes into the second half on a direct kick and assisted on Hanke’s goal midway through the half.
Dana Benz capped the scoring for Hortonville with an unassisted goal in the 71st minute. A Comet defender attempted to control the ball just outside of the penalty area and a Hortonville forward knocked her down from behind.
“We stepped better to the ball tonight and made better challenges for the 50/50 ball,” coach Mark Polebitski said. “It made a difference in the possession game.”
The school’s music trip to New York City left Polebitski with only 12 players for both games.
“Some junior varsity players stepped up and played with the varsity,” he said. “This was an opportunity for players to show their stuff.”
The Comets outshot the Polar Bears 10-7 and Mikaila Johnson finished with five saves.
“Fehrman’s game-winning goal in the 45th minute was a great shot,” Polebitski said. “She is the best set piece shooter on the team and she showed it. It was a perfectly placed shot falling in just inside the post. Lizzie had two goals and just missed a third that went off the post. She is a great addition up front for us this season. She showed maturity, patience and skill.”
Seymour 4, Waupaca 0
Four players scored and the Thunder took a 3-0 halftime lead.
Brianna Messner, Jill Gorges and Kylie Ness scored in the first half while Tiffany Fameree found the net in the second half as Seymour outshot the Comets 20-3.
Josie Waitrovich had 13 saves for Waupaca, while Johnson added three.
“We had trouble connecting passes in the attacking third of the field,” Polebitski said. “What we needed was to have the midfielders and defenders make runs out of the back to add that extra attacker. Since we were on our heels defensively, it was hard to push that extra player forward. Seymour’s outside mids were fast and had an attacking mentality.”
Waupaca opened Eastern Valley Conference play Tuesday, April 12, at Little Chute; will host Fond du Lac in a rescheduled nonconference match at 6 tonight (Thursday, April 14; and will head to the Wausau West Invitational, which starts at 10 a.m. Saturday, April 16.