
Mya Langenfeld
The Kiel girls’ soccer team shocked everyone over the weekend, knocking off undefeated Cedar Grove-Belgium and punching their ticket to the state tournament.
In a matchup many saw as the de facto state championship matchup, the Raiders clawed their way back from down 2-0 to beat the Rockets 4-2 to claim the Division 3 Sectional Championship.
Coach Mike Pritchard tells SeehaferNews.com that his squad made a pair of “catastrophic mistakes” leading to the first two goals by the Rockets but made a “huge adjustment on defense,” which worked to perfection.
Then, on the other side of the field, things started to click. Maddie McDole used her speed to set herself up for a goal, and Ella Vander-Meer netted what Coach Pritchard called a “wicked goal” in the final minute of the first half to knot it up.
After halftime, Addison Vogel came through with a goal, and freshman Deanna Schwaller continued her strong postseason with a goal that flew just over the keeper’s fingertips to secure the win.
Pritchard praised his defense, specifically Ava Niels, Addie Uselding, Callaway Goodman, Aubrey Fromm, and Jasmine Bink, as well as his freshman goalkeeper Maya Langenfeld, who he said “continued to amaze everyone with her great saves.”
Pritchard called it “One of my biggest wins in my career, all thanks to a great assistant coach, disciplined players, and true belief in TEAM first mentality.”
The Raiders were named the #3 seed in the Division 3 State Tournament and will be squaring off against Edgewood this Friday at 1:30 p.m. at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.
The winner will face either #1 seeded Catholic Memorial or #4 West Salem on Saturday at 4:30 p.m. for a state title.