June 20, 2021 – Kewaskum, WI – With an opportunity to advance to the WIAA state finals on the line, the intensity was at an all time season high for both No. 1 New Berlin Eisenhower vs. No. 2 Kewaskum in the girls WIAA Division 3 Sectional soccer finals.
New Berlin Eisenhower struck early, scoring just three and a half minutes into the first half.
Kewaskum suffered a one-two punch in that instance was a collision at the net while the goal was being scored. It knocked Kewaskum’s starting goaltender, senior Nicole Butz, out for the rest of the game.
Despite this massive blow to team morale and losing one of its most valued leaders to injury, Kewaskum’s defense rallied. Sophomore Sydney Wheaton stepped in net to replace Butz for the Indians, shutting out New Berlin Eisenhower for the rest of the first half. The Lions led at the half 1 – 0.
Unfortunately for Kewaskum, New Berlin Eisenhower also played solid defense. The Lions offense broke through with two more goals in the second half; one at the 10-minute mark, and the final goal coming with about 20 minutes left in the game.
Kewaskum battled constantly to turn the offensive tide, but were unable to find the back of the net, losing 3-0.
Kewaskum head coach Luke Piwoni remained positive about his team’s performance, even in the face of defeat. “I am just really proud of the girls’ determination and fight they showed,” he said. “There was no quit in the team and they left everything on the field.”
Piwoni was especially proud of his seniors who he was going to miss immensely. Despite being an odd season, the coach maintained it was a good and fun season for his team.
Kewaskum finished with a 16-3 record, which included a 10-game winning streak prior the loss to New Berlin Eisenhower and a 6-1 record in East Central Conference play.
Three Kewaskum players finished with double-digit goals this season including senior Natalie Newman (24), senior Kennedy Adams (21), and junior Lydia Steinbauer (19) while also being the top three overall point scorers for the team with 59, 54, and 45 total points respectively.
Goalkeeper Nicole Butz finished the season with 1,200 minutes played, 16 goals allowed, 49 saves, for a .754 save percentage and 1.20 goals against average across 16 games.
As for New Berlin Eisenhower, it will advance to the WIAA Division 3 State Finals, with a semifinal match between the No. 3 seed Lions taking on No. 2 seed McFarland at Uihlein Soccer Park on Friday, June 26 at 1 p.m.
It will be a very interesting matchup as the two teams averaged almost the same number of goals per game this season, however the x-factor may be McFarland entering the game undefeated (14-0).