Waupaca soccer team falls to New London
By Greg Seubert
In the end, it was too much Joey Messina.
The Bay Conference’s offensive player of the year scored three goals and assisted on another to help New London hand Waupaca a 5-3 loss Oct. 24 in a Division 3 boys’ soccer regional final in New London.
The Bulldogs, a No. 1 seed in their WIAA state tournament bracket, will now host second-seeded Lakeland at 6 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 29, in a sectional semifinal. The winner of that game will face Rice Lake or Medford at 2 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 31, in Rice Lake in a sectional final.
Messina opened the scoring 8:58 into the game off of an assist from Parker Sullivan, who came up with New London’s two other goals.
Waupaca tied the game at the 13:41 mark in Seth Boldt’s goal and Boldt found the net again less than four minutes later to give the Comets a 2-1 lead 17:07 into the game.
Sullivan tied the game 13 seconds later and Messina gave the Bulldogs the lead for good at the 28:23 mark.
Messina completed his hat trick at the 52:24 mark of the second half off of another assist from Sullivan, and Sullivan wrapped up the scoring at 84:49 with his second goal, with Messina picking up the assist.
Waupaca’s Drake Hiddemen scored with 3:11 remaining in the game, but the Comets couldn’t get any closer.
Waupaca, a No. 5 seed, had opened state tournament play Oct. 22 with a 4-2 win over fourth-seeded Clintonville, while the Bulldogs shut out No. 8 Antigo 11-0.
New London scoring: Joey Messina, assist by Parker Sullivan. Sullivan. Messina. Messina, assist by Sullivan. Sullivan, assist by Messina.
New London saves (Caleb Lauer): 6.
New London 11, Antigo 0
NEW LONDON – The New London Bulldogs knocked in eight goals in the first 20 minutes to win their first-round regional tournament over the Antigo Redbirds on Thursday, Oct. 22.
All goals were scored in the first half. The game ended at 60 minutes due to the 11-goal score differential.
New London scoring: 1:19 Joey Messina. 1:59 Parker Sullivan. 3:49 Messina. 8:48 Sullivan. 13:35 Messina, assist by Sullivan. 16:48 Zane Goedderz, assist by Jason Sanderfoot. 17:32 Payton Monty, assist by Messina. 19:00 Sullivan. Cole Thompson, assist by Dustin Howard. Sanderfoot, assist by Howard. Caleb Lauer.