Teammates raise funds for Mollie Tennessen

By Scott Bellile

The Polar Bears played a tie game on Thursday, May 19, but their visit to Fond du Lac provided a bigger purpose than playing the game.

Hortonville presented Fond du Lac goalkeeper Mollie Tennessen $1,000 to help her in her fight against cancer she’s been battling all soccer season. The amount presented exceeded the approximately $700 Hortonville soccer coach Paul Everett originally estimated the team raised two weeks earlier at a home game against New London.

“We heard about Mollie on the radio and felt it was the right thing to do, being a fellow soccer player,” Everett said. “And the inspiration she gave all of us to carry on through her battle, I would hope other teams would do the same thing for one [of] our players should [one] ever be in that situation.”

In the long-awaited game, Fond du Lac started strong with a goal 1:23 into the game, but Hortonville held the Cardinals to that one goal for the rest of the game.

Miranda Natrop scored the equalizer 38 seconds into the second half with an assist from Claudia Wunderlich.

“The team dug deep to put in their best performance of the season,” Everett said.

Hortonville kept busy Tennessen, who delivered nine saves. Hortonville goalie Lauren Mertz had seven saves.

Hortonville 3, Waupaca 1
WAUPACA – Natrop scored two goals and Caitlyn Mohr scored the other one in a nonconference win over Waupaca on Monday, May 23.
Waupaca’s Ashley Jeske scored the Comets’ lone goal 62 minutes into the game.

Hortonville scoring: 32:57 Miranda Natrop. 46:39 Caitlyn Mohr, assist by Natrop. 75:41 Natrop, assist by Gabriella Metten.

Saves for Hortonville’s Lauren Mertz: 3

Saves for Waupaca’s Taylor Korth: 14