Kerwin leads Bay to title
The challenge was issued last November.
Moments after Whitefish Bay’s boys soccer team won the WIAA Division 2 state title, the Blue Dukes had a request for their female counterparts: try matching us. Mission accomplished. Bay rolled over Wauwatosa East, 5-1, in the state championship game Saturday night at Uihlein Soccer Park. Blue Dukes senior forward Taylor Kerwin had the first hat trick in Division 2 history, while senior forward Lily Jefferson and junior midfielder Gracie Riedl each added a goal.
The Blue Dukes, whom many consider the best side in the state, finished the year 22-1-2 and won their first state title since 2000. Bay also became the first school to win the boys and girls titles in the same school year since Appleton Xavier in 2004-’05.
The Red Raiders, gunning for their first state championship since 1997, ended the year 18-5-3.
“The boys won and we owed it to them to try and be a part of another championship,” said Kerwin, a University of Louisville recruit who had four goals in two state tournament games. “That’s pretty awesome.”
Rob Dubinski — who coaches Bay’s boys and girls — certainly thought it was awesome.
Dubinski is a Tosa East graduate and a former head girls coach and a boys assistant with the Red Raiders. On Saturday, Dubinski and the Blue Dukes slayed a familiar foe on their way to a title.
“Our football coach is a good friend of mine,” Dubinski said. “But Whitefish Bay is a soccer school.”
Bay struck first when Kerwin was tackled in the box in the 11th minute. Kerwin took the penalty kick and sent a blast to the lower right corner that gave the Blue Dukes a 1-0 lead.
In the 23rd minute, Jefferson fired a shot on frame from 15 yards out that hit Red Raiders’ keeper Abby Schermerhorn in the hands and trickled in to make it 2-0. Then in the 32nd minute, Kerwin converted a gorgeous free kick from 20 yards out that gave Bay a 3-0 lead.
“We’ve got a lot of depth this year and that really helped,” Kerwin said.
The Red Raiders temporarily slowed down the Bay assault when junior forward Elyse Reagan scored in the 43rd minute. East came close to making it a one-goal game, too, but Bay keeper Grace James made a diving save on a 20yard free kick by Liz Bueckers.
“That was the play of the game,” East coach Eric Dale said. “Tremendous save. That ball was going in. If that goes in, I think it changes the way the game goes.”
Bay then erased any doubts when Riedl banged home a ball from 30 yards out in the 67th minute. Kerwin then one-timed a loose ball from 10 yards out in the 70th minute to finish the scoring.
No one around the Bay program figured to be sleeping much Saturday night. The Blue Dukes met each and every challenge — including one from their boys’ team — and were headed home with a gold ball.