Comet boys fall to Seymour
By Murray Gleffe
The Seymour boys’ soccer team proved it’s not how you start a game, but how you finish.
The top-seeded Thunder exploded for six second-half goals in a 7-1 victory Oct. 29 over No. 3 Waupaca in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal game at Seymour High School.
The Comets struck first despite Seymour peppering the net early.
Midfielder Dawson Patzke was awarded a free kick from 24 yards out after a Thunder foul during the 16th minute. He found the back of the net after Seymour appeared to still be setting its defense.
“Dawson is an excellent spot-on kicker, especially when he has time to read the play,” Waupaca coach Jeremy Koehler said. “After the goal, we knew Seymour was going to come back. We had to keep playing our game.”
Opportunity kept knocking on the door for the Thunder, but Waupaca goalkeeper Zach Mondello made every save.
Everything changed in the 42nd minute after Seymour forward Teig Driessen got free on a breakaway, used his foot speed and blasted a shot into the right part of the net to even the game at 1-1.
The Thunder took the lead for good in the 57th minute on Pace Jefferson’s goal. Eight minutes later, Driessen laced a blast from the right half of the field that Mondello punched back out.
Unfortunately for the Comets, Seymour’s Chase Solem was waiting in front of the net for a 3-1 advantage.
Seymour added to its lead in the 72nd minute with Shane Doxtator’s high, looping left-footed kick over Mondello’s outstretched hands.
The Thunder added three goals in the last 15 minutes from Driessen, Solem and Sam Dudley.
“Waupaca committed a lot of people to defending,” Seymour coach Todd Messner said. “As we were attacking, we knew we’d get some opportunities, even on missed shots with balls kicking back out. We finally connected on a few of those in the final 45 minutes of the game.”
• Murray Gleffe is a sports correspondent for the Times Press, a Multi Media Channels publication based in Hobart.