Brookfield Central wins crucial girls soccer battle
WAUWATOSA - Sarah Knopp sends a really nice ball.
The Brookfield Central senior midfielder takes many of the team’s free and corner kicks, and with good reason. She has a knack for getting the ball to the right spot. Brandi Thomsen knows firsthand. So does Emma Staskiewicz.
Unfortunately for Whitefish Bay, their memories are fresh.
The two seniors scored goals off balls placed in the box by Knopp on Saturday. They were the difference in a 2-1 Central victory in a WIAA Division 2 sectional final played at Whitman Middle School.
You’d be hard-pressed to find a better sectional championship. The showdown not only featured squads ranked 1-2 in the final overall Wisconsin Soccer Coaches Association state poll, but teams that won state titles last year. Top-ranked Bay (19-2) was the defending Division 2 champion. Central (16-1-1) won the Division 1 title last season.
The Lancers will be the favorite to officially take that crown at the WIAA state tournament, which begins Thursday at Uihlein Soccer Park. Unofficially, this may have settled the championship.
“No offense to the other teams, but this should have been next Saturday,” Bay coach Robby Dubinski said. “But it is what it is. (Last year) we had to play Green Bay Notre Dame, who was No. 2 in state behind us. It’s just one of those things. You know you’re going to get a couple of opportunities and you know you’ve got to capitalize.”
Whitefish Bay struck first after it was awarded a penalty kick for a push in the box. Bay senior Ali Menard made them pay with a goal in the 10th minute.
The rest of the first half was about missed opportunities on both sides. The second half was about finishing, at least it was for Central.
It tied the game in the 62nd minute off a set piece that started with Knopp sending a ball into the box from the right side from about 40 yards out. There was plenty of traffic, but Thomsen didn’t let the ball touch the ground, finishing the play with a header.
About 8 minutes later, it was Staskiewicz’s turn. On her goal, she managed to put such good spin on the ball that both the goalkeeper and one of Bay’s defenders had a tough time controlling a shot that initially appeared like it would be stopped.
Again Knopp went over the defense with her pass.
“I knew that was going to be dangerous and got on it,” Staskiewicz said. “I was just confused if I was offsides and it was a weird spin. It was obviously a confusing goal, but I’m obviously happy I was able to get that touch on it.”
The goal made Bay’s missed chances earlier in the half even more critical. During one flurry of activity early in the second half, the Blue Dukes had three good scoring changes, including a shot from senior Ali Menard in the middle of the box that she couldn’t get past senior Grace James in the 56th minute.
The victory provided a bit of payback for Central, which suffered its only loss of the season May 25 to Bay by a 3-2 margin. That day it was the Lancers who gave up two second-half goals that were the difference.