SHAWANO, WI- It was 1991 the last time Shawano Boys Soccer played in a sectional, and Thursday, will start a new chapter.
“It feels good to be part of history and now we are starting to put Shawano on the map for soccer which has not been done in a while,” said Werner Beyer.”
The Shawano Hawks will travel to Lakeland to take on the Thunderbirds, a team they lost to 2-0 earlier in the season. Coach Andrew Brooks says this is a different Shawano team than the T-Birds saw last time.
“We are excited, and Lakeland beat us last time, but we feel we gave them a couple of goals.”
Anderson Schmidt remembers that game and says that one just did not go there way. “We let that one go”, said Schmidt. “We don’t want to let that happen again.”
Seniors Werner Beyer and Ruben De Gaspari have been leading the team in the scoring department.
2nd seeded Shawano enters with a 13-7 record and is the last team in the Bay Conference still playing, despite finishing behind West De Pere and Xavier in the standings.
“I think there confidence just rose, they knew what they were capable of and they are doing a good job of balancing the work and fun, said Brooks.
Shawano beat Mosinee 6-0 and New London 2-0 to win the Regional title. They enter the contest with strong goal keeper play in Ryan Buerman, who has 9 shutouts this season.
Shawano’s Soccer history also had a big year in 1989. That year, the Hawks beat Pulaski and Ashwaubenon and won their first ever Sectional game over Gresham. In the Sectional Finals, Shawano fell to Hudson 1-0 in the game before State. The goal was scored with 71 seconds left.
After Thursday, a new story will be told.
“We work as one unit and our chemistry is strong,” Beyer said. “It is all the combinations that we have been finding, and Ryan keeping the zero on the scoreboard has been good to see.”
“Ryan worked in the off season, and we always say, they don’t score, we don’t lose,” said Schmidt.
For Coach Brooks, this has become a program, and now finishing his 5th season, he says the pieces are starting to fall in place.
“The goal was to get better every single year, and we have had a slightly better record each year. ”
Brooks says despite the outcome of the Sectionals, this was a season to remember in Shawano.
“We have checked off all of our goals that we set at the beginning of season, so now this is just the cherry on top.”
Comments