Soccer team earns No. 1 seed

Eagles aim for first trip to state since ‘96   It’s been 24 years since Sauk Prairie’s boys soccer team reached the state tournament. But perhaps this will be the year the Eagles’ drought ends. Sauk Prairie received the No. 1 seed in its half of the sectional. The Eagles open postseason play Oct. 20 when they host eighth-seeded Mauston at 4 p.m. in a WIAA Division 2 regional semifinal. If Sauk Prairie wins there, it would host either fourth-seeded Platteville/Lancaster or fifth-seeded Portage in a regional final on Oct. 24. The sectional semifinal is Oct. 29. If the seeds hold, Sauk Prairie would meet Dodgeville/Mineral Point. The sectional final is Oct. 31. The top teams on the other half of the bracket are No. 1 Mosinee, No. 2 Wautoma/Wild Rose and No. 3 West Salem. “As for being the number one seed, it is a testament to the team and the work they put in this year,” said Eagles coach Drew Kornish, whose team has a 5-2-2 record. “It is a young team without a lot of experience, which showed at different points this season.  “But the overall work rate to keep games close that we lost — one goal losses in both — and work our way back from a few early deficits to get a draw or a win, really speaks to the work ethic this team has. I am looking forward to seeing where this goes for us.”  Kornish knows this shapes up to be a strange postseason. With 36% of the state electing to play soccer in the spring instead of the fall, many of the postseason matchups will be dramatically different than past seasons. But the Eagles hope to take full advantage of the opportunity in front of them. “It was a very unique seeding meeting in the fact that these teams had very little in common,” Kornish said. “We (Sauk) were able to compare ourselves to Portage, Reedsburg and Edgewood, in which we (currently) have a 4-0-1 record against. The other half of the regional, though, has very little in common with us.  “From the number of games played to common opponents to strength of schedule, it was very difficult for us to seed everyone. This also leaves a lot of uncertainty in our path to state.  “If the higher seeds advance throughout the tournament, we will play four new teams, which can be a real challenge. Due to having so little in common, it is my opinion that this season, more so than any other season, seeds won’t play a huge role in the outcome of these games.”   Sauk Prairie goes 1-1-1 in brutal week   Sauk Prairie’s boys soccer team had its toughest stretch of the season last week. And the Eagles came through in decent shape. Sauk Prairie rolled past Madison Edgewood, 4-1, on Oct. 6. The Eagles then dropped a 2-1 decision to Baraboo on Oct. 8 and tied Lake Mills, 3-3, on Oct. 10. The Eagles are now 5-2-2 overall. Here’s a recap of Sauk Prairie’s week. • Sauk Prairie 4, Madison Edgewood 1 — Joe Baumgardt had three goals to power the Eagles past the visiting Crusaders. Edgewood grabbed a 1-0 lead in the ninth minute, before Sauk Prairie answered with four unanswered goals. “I was very eager to see how we would respond as this is the first time all season we played from behind,” Sauk Prairie coach Drew Kornish said. “I was very pleased with the response as we dominated possession and opportunities for the rest of the first half.” Baumgardt notched the equalizer in the 33rd minute, then Quinn Baier gave the Eagles a 2-1 lead in the 64th minute. Baumgardt then struck in the 67th and 78th minutes as the Eagles pulled away. “We continued to press the game with great possession and confident play in the final third,” Kornish said. “Misa Dominguez was dominant in the midfield for us controlling our tempo. Three second half goals saw the game out. It was a great first step towards a really tough week for us.” • Baraboo 2, Sauk Prairie 1 — The Eagles defeated the Thunderbirds, 1-0, on Sept. 22. Baraboo evened the score, though, last Thursday. “Part two of this rivalry was just as intense and hard fought as part one,” Kornish said. “Baraboo is a really good side that is very well coached.” Baraboo scored in the sixth minute to take a 1-0 lead. Sauk Prairie’s Isaac Homar scored in the 32nd minute to even things, 1-1. But Baraboo scored off a corner kick in the 40th minute and made that goal stand up. “Too many chances not finished on our end saw us on the wrong side of this scoreline,” Kornish said. “A game that saw four yellow cards, two for each team, and required both teams to push for 90 minutes took a lot out of our legs.” • Sauk Prairie 3, Lake Mills 3 — The Eagles rallied from a 3-1 deficit and earned a draw with the L-Cats last Saturday. Lake Mills — ranked No. 3 in the latest Division 3 poll — scored three goals in the first 16 minutes and raced to a 3-1 lead. But Sauk Prairie battled back. Baumgardt scored late in the first half to pull the Eagles within 3-2. Sauk Prairie then notched the equalizer in the 86th minute and earned a hard fought draw. “Lake Mills is a quality side with a very talented striker up top,” Kornish said. “We came out in the second half and dominated possession and chances even creating a few breakaway opportunities and a penalty kick. Although it wasn’t the win we were looking for, I am pleased that we showed the mindset to work through our shortcomings and get a draw.”    Oct. 6 SAUK PRAIRIE 4, MADISON EDGEWOOD 1 Edgewood ………….. 1  0 — 1 Sauk Prairie ………… 1  3 — 4 First half: ME — Wenborne (Snell), 8:33; SP — J. Baumgardt (Homar), 32:49.  Second half: SP — J. Baier (Drescher), 63:15; J. Baumgardt (Drescher), 66:02; Baumgardt (Drescher), 77:34. Shots: ME 11; SP 1. Saves: ME (Merckx) 3; SP (L. Baumgardt) 3.