Kicking away: Macks earn return trip to sectional
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By PAUL HUSET
paul.huset@lee.net
Saturday, October 25, 2008 11:30 PM CDT
As any coach will tell you, overcoming injuries builds character.
McDonell/Regis built a lot of character in Saturday’s 5-0 win over Wausau Newman in the second round of the WIAA Division 3 playoffs as they played without Luke Roth. The dangerous forward had sprained his ankle in last round’s 7-0 win over Gresham.
The injury forced the team to adjust its personnel and strategy.
Coach Tim Jenneman’s changed game plan involved rotating in Will Schifeling, Marc Santolin and Grant Mickesh as forwards/midfielders instead of just as midfielders.
They certainly filled in nicely.
“Our main focus was to control the ball,” he said. “As you could see, our midfielders controlled the ball. You saw us start popping it to the front and Cory (Arneson) is fast. That’s what changed the momentum.”
Much of the first half saw Arneson taking passes from the midfielders and sprinting to the goal, only to have the shot clank off a post or land in the goalie’s hands.
He finally broke through on an assist from Mickesh, which made it 2-0 because of an earlier Schifeling goal.
It couldn’t have come soon enough for Arneson.
“I kept thinking I really wanted a goal,” he said. “I started cutting in more and not take it outside. I’ve got to take it right in and shoot for the goal.”
Arneson’s adjustment led to another goal in the second half.
Santolin and Mickesh also tallied scores after intermission, with Mickesh’s coming on an open net after he had gotten the ball away from a diving goalie.
The view was a scorer’s dream.
“It felt great seeing the empty net,” he said. “I just wanted to ram that in there. I think my celebration showed how happy I was on that one.“
It was a bittersweet day for Mickesh, who missed a chance at the state cross country meet to attend the game. He said it was a very tough decision to pass on cross country sectionals, but he added that the team needed everyone to perform because of Roth’s injury and that soccer was his main sport.
While the offense stepped it up in Roth’s absence, the defense also played a solid game.
“They stopped everything,” Jenneman said. “We want a shutout and we want to prove that we’re strong. My defense, which doesn’t get a lot of the glory, gets to shine and make a statement for themselves.”
That shutout almost disappeared late in the game, but Chris Eckes made one of his nine saves to preserve it.
Eckes said that the team feeds off all those zeros on the scoreboard.
“The shutout just brings more motivation and more energy for the next game,” he said. “It gives us momentum for the next game.“
The Macks will definitely need that momentum in the next round.
They face second-seeded Omro in sectionals Thursday. The game will be at Casper Park at 3 p.m.
Reach Paul Huset at paul.huset@lee.net.
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