PHOTO FROM GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE
FROM GREEN BAY PRESS GAZETTE
MILWAUKEE – The Green Bay Southwest girls soccer team has gone from underdog to underrated at this point.
The Trojans are headed to the WIAA Division 2 state title game after a 1-0 upset win over Rhinelander in a semifinal at Uihlein Soccer Park on Friday afternoon.
Southwest (14-9-4) will play top-ranked Oregon for the D2 championship at 3 p.m. on Saturday.
The No. 3 seed Trojans have beaten three straight No. 1 seeds in the tournament after also beating No. 2 seed Menasha in a regional championship.
Southwest is the first girls soccer team from one of the four Green Bay public schools to reach a title game and joins Green Bay Notre Dame and De Pere as the only area teams to accomplish the feat since the state tournament started in 1983.
"I don't believe in them being upsets anymore," said Southwest coach Tyler Thomas, whose team is making its fourth appearance at state and the first since 2003. "I mean, these girls, they love playing the underdog role so I don't want to take that away from them.
"But they believe. The biggest thing is that the 22 players in uniform believe that they can compete and play with anybody. With that belief and that confidence, they can do it. They just proved it today."
Southwest forward Amber Nolle had the biggest goal of her young career off a corner kick with just 52 seconds left in the first half to give the Trojans a lead it never would relinquish. Perhaps it was even more rewarding for the sophomore after she missed her entire freshman season with a torn anterior cruciate ligament.
It also gave Southwest all the momentum heading into the second half.
"We kind of had to relax a little bit, because we didn't want to go in thinking it was over because we had 45 more minutes to play," Nolle said. "We just used that to play our game and play calm and be the team that I know we are."
Rhinelander (19-4-2) outshot Southwest 11-7, but it could not find a way to get one past junior goaltender Toni Champion, who has been one of the stars of the tournament for the Trojans.
Champion, who helped lead Southwest to a sectional championship shootout win over third-ranked Pewaukee on Saturday, finished with five saves.
The Trojans stopped Rhinelander star midfielder Gabrielle Millot, who entered with 50 goals this season, before she found a way to stop herself.
The senior was held out of the net despite eight shot attempts and then was disqualified from the game in the 74th minute after picking up her second yellow card.
Millot had scored at least one goal in 11 of the Hodags' previous 12 games, including two games of five goals, one game of four and three games with three.
But zero in this one.
"Gabby is a great player, I've watched her play over the last two years and there is not many girls soccer players that I can say I've seen that are better than Gabby," Thomas said. "It's too bad she got red-carded today. It would have been nice to have her finish out her career on a more positive note. … not that I wanted her to beat us.
"It was huge not having her, because the whole first half all she was doing was playing the ball long. The last 20 minutes, they couldn't get the ball behind us."
Southwest now prepares for one more upset, the biggest one of all, when it faces Oregon.
The Panthers have gone 22-0-1 this season and are making their first state appearance. They beat Whitefish Bay 4-0 in a semifinal earlier on Friday and have allowed just 14 goals this season.
Southwest not only has to score against a tough defense but also must stop a trio of big-time scorers in senior midfielder Kelsey Jahn (30 goals) and junior forwards Makena Fanning (23 goals) and Jen Brien (20 goals).
"I think it's just going to be coming out and doing what we do," Nolle said. "We watched a little bit of their game, and they look incredible. I think it's going to be a good game. It's going to be fun."
— svenci@pressgazettemedia.com and follow him on Twitter @scottvenci
CREDIT: Green Bay Press Gazette
PHOTO GALLERY: Green Bay Press Gazette
FROM THE NORTHWOODS RIVER NEWS
MILWAUKEE - A game that began with so much promise turned into a nightmare for the Rhinelander High School girls' soccer team Friday in the WIAA Division 2 state semifinals. Green Bay Southwest scored a goal with seconds remaining in the first half and Gabbe Millot, the state's leading scorer, was sent off in the second half following a pair of yellow cards as the Hodags fell to Green Bay Southwest 1-0 at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee. A set piece gave Green Bay Southwest the lead just before halftime as the Trojans sent a corner into the Rhinelander box in the 45th minute. The Hodags were unable to clear it properly and Amber Nolle found the top right corner from 15 yards out. After a slow start, the Hodags gained momentum late in the first half. Rhinelander outshot Green Bay Southwest 6-4 through the first 45 minutes. Play got physical in the second half. Gabbe Millot was booked for a hard tackle in the 62nd minute. She was then on the receiving end of a tackle from behind in the 71st minute that resulted in a yellow card for Alexis Cumber of Green Bay Southwest. After another hard challenge in the 74th minute, Millot was disqualified with her second yellow card. She had eight of Rhinelander's nine shots when she was sent off. Millot's best look was a bending shot in the 28th minute to the left post, but keeper Toni Champion was up to the challenge. Many of Millot's shots came from well outside the penalty area and were stopped easily by Champion. Rhinelander generated only two shots after Millot was sent off. Claire Hjelle sent a free kick from 30 yards wide right in the 82nd minute. Hjelle had another look on a free kick that was blocked by the Trojans in the 84th minute. Rhinelander could get nothing off an ensuing corner kick. The Hodags had one last gasp in the 90th minute as Sydney Zettler won a corner kick. Hjelle's kick became loose in the box before Champion covered it up. TV replays appeared to show defender Montana Thomas got a hand on the ball, but no penalty kick was awarded. Rhinelander outshot Southwest 11-7. Sarah Babcock made three saves in the loss. The Hodags' season ends with a 21-4-2 record. Green Bay Southwest will play Oregon for the state championship Saturday. The Panthers defeated Whitefish Bay 4-0 earlier Friday. Jeremy Mayo may be reached at jeremy@rivernewsonline.com.
CREDIT: Northwoods River News