OSHKOSH – A shootout prevented the Waupaca Comet boys’ soccer team from winning Saturday’s Oshkosh Invitational.
Waupaca tied Milwaukee Ronald Reagan 2-2 in the championship game, but the Huskies returned home with the tournament championship after winning the shootout 3-2.
The Comets advanced to the title game with a 2-1 win over Sparta.
Oshkosh Invitational
Waupaca 2,
Ronald Reagan 2
Adam Kaminske scored in each half for Waupaca off of assists from Jake Overman. Cheenug Shong scored both of Reagan’s goals.
The Huskies outshot the Comets 12-4 and Eric Cummings finished with 10 saves.
Waupaca 2,
Sparta 1
The Comets overcame a 1-0 halftime deficit with a pair of goals from Mike Arthur and Kaminske.
Nick Loeffelholz put Sparta on the board with an unassisted goal in the first half. Arthur tied the game a minute into the second half off of an assist from Ryan Fuss and Kaminske scored the game winner five minutes later, with Hunter Bailey getting credit for the assist.
Cummings stopped eight shots on goal.
“We played solid soccer today,” coach Mark Polebitski said. “The backs were attacking out of the back and the midfielders were distributing the ball well. We had many quality opportunities to finish the play. We played better over the weekend compared to the season opener (a 7-1 loss Aug. 17 to Stevens Point). We focused on defending one-on-one and in groups. The players now understand their roles as first, second and third defender and that showed in the tournament Saturday.”
The Comets were able to create scoring opportunities after SPASH held Waupaca to four shots in the season opener.
“Adam Kaminske, Hunter Bailey and Jake Overman showed good field vision and used what the other teams were giving them,” Polebitski said. “Ryan Fuss, Stewart Miller and Francisco Tsenane did an excellent job of winning the ball and turning it around on the transition and Eric Cummings had a solid game in goal by making the routine saves to keep us in the game.
“The coaching staff liked what we saw from the team and from some individuals,” he added. “It gives us something to build on in the next week to prepare for the conference opener against Fox Valley Lutheran.”
Stevens Point 7,
Waupaca 1
Bailey scored Waupaca’s goal on an unassisted play in the second half.
Cummings and Tyler Kelly combined for 12 saves.
Waupaca hosted Wausau Newman Tuesday and will head to Appleton to open Eastern Valley Conference play at 5 p.m. today (Thursday) against FVL, the defending Division 2 state champions.
“This is an important game for both teams,” Polebitski said. “It should be a good one.”