Tigers soccer beats SPASH, suffers Rhinelander loss
By Hub City Times staff
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield Tigers are having a stellar year against Stevens Point. Not only did Marshfield finally get past SPASH in boys basketball and softball this year, the Tiger girls soccer team is now getting into the act. For just the second time in program history, and the first since 2011, the Tigers beat the Panthers 2-1 on May 2 at Griese Park in Marshfield.
The Panthers scored first. “To be honest I was not certain how the team would react,” Tiger Coach Steve Lindner said.
The Tigers reacted just 18 seconds later with a score of their own. “That really was the difference as the team really knew we could defeat SPASH and our intensity just rose up,” Lindner added.
With the score deadlocked at a point apiece at halftime, Lindner knew his team was at a crucial point in the game. “We always stress the first five minutes of the second half and right after a goal is scored is so important, and low and behold we took it to SPASH and scored one minute and 47 seconds into the second half,” he said.
Nina Hashimoto scored both Tiger goals. Nicole Simon had one assist. Mikayla Brueggen had 13 saves in goal for Marshfield.
“We turned away so many opportunities that SPASH threw at us with every player stepping up at one point or another,” Linder said. “Mikayla Brueggen had her best game as a varsity goal tender with three super saves to preserve the victory. SPASH is that very good opponent that we have had little success against and it felt like such a relief to get over the hump against them again. We have really picked up the intensity in practice with the balance of quality touches on the ball that really paid off. For the seniors to get their first victory over one of the big three was very rewarding and satisfying.”
The Tigers followed up the big win over SPASH with a tough 2-0 loss at Rhinelander on May 4.
Rhinelander got off to a lead thanks to a questionable spot on a foul which lead to a penalty kick for the first goal. “We had our chances, but things just did not work in our favor,” Coach Lindner said afterward.
He added, “Kate Schilling and Paige Gruenling had real nice games for the Tigers.”
Marshfield is now 6-6-1 overall, and 3-3-1 in the WVC.