Soccer team hosts invitational
By Greg Seubert
It was bound to happen sooner or later.
After going winless in 2017 and not winning a game so far this season, the Waupaca girls’ soccer team picked up its first win since 2016 at the 23rd annual Comet Invitational.
The Comets hosted the eight-team tournament May 12 at Waupaca High School.
Waupaca opened the tournament with a 1-0 win over Sparta before falling 6-0 to Appleton West and 3-0 to Marquette, Mich.
Waupaca 1, Sparta 0
Kalyn Klug scored the game’s only goal at the 51-minute mark after teammate Shyla Koshollek played a ball through Sparta’s defense. Klug went one-on-one with Sparta’s goalkeeper and finished the play with a low, hard shot to the post.
Sparta outshot the Comets 10-5 and Audrey Tice had 10 saves in her first game as goalkeeper.
“Audrey had a clean sheet in her first varsity match and helped the team get its first win in two years,” coach Mark Polebitski said. “Freshman Abby Williams played sweeper and turned back countless attacks by the Sparta strikers. Alyssa Spierings and Jamie Slattery played tough at marking backs to hold off the Spartans from scoring.”
The coaching staff worked with Tice, a freshman, over the past two weeks to get her ready for the tournament.
“We faced much adversity this week,” Polebitski said. “We were down to 14 players for the tournament due to injuries and our starting keeper and sweeper had other commitments and could not be at the match.”
Appleton West 6, Waupaca 0
The Terrors led 4-0 at halftime and outshot the Comets 31-0.
Tice made 25 saves.
Marquette, Mich., 3, Waupaca 0
Marquette built a 3-0 lead before the Comets avoided the shutout with two minutes left in the game.
Williams moved the ball down the right side and made a cross from deep in Marquette territory. Ava Schwenn made a run to the goal and finished the play with a left-footed shot.
Marquette outshot the Comets 16-1 and Tice finished with 13 saves.
“Both of our goals on the day were skillful,” Polebitski said. “Shyla played an amazing through ball to Kalyn in the Sparta match and Abby played an amazing cross to Ava in the last match of the day. Sometimes goals are scored by luck, but not today.”
The Comets hosted Little Chute May 15 in a North Eastern Conference matchup and will head to Marinette Thursday, May 17, for a 4:30 p.m. conference game with the Marines.