Soccer team victorious
Prairie's Andrew Waller heads up the soccer pitch Tuesday against the visiting Dodgers. (Photos by Ted Pennekamp)
Prairie’s Chas Sagedahl (2) kicks the ball away from a Dodgville-Mineral Point player.
Prairie’s Nathan Specht (7) passes to an open Jon Dyer as Jack Stoeffler waits in the background.
The Blackhawks’ Andrew Waller chases down a Dodger in first half action.
Hawks down Dodgers for PdC soccer victory
It was a hot muggy night on the Bluff View soccer pitch Tuesday when the Prairie du Chien boys soccer team hosted the Dodgeville/Mineral Point Dodgers.
The two teams had just met one week prior with Dodgeville overcoming a 2-0 Prairie lead for the win. Would tonight be a different story, that was the Blackhawk plan.
The Hawks started aggressively with strong passing and combinations. Chas Sagedahl took several nice shots just outside the 18-yard line, just missing, but pulling out the Dodgeville defense.
In the 19th minute, Preston Hendrix found a gap, breaking though and serving a strong cross to Jack Stoeffler who nailed the shot for the score. Both teams fought hard in the sweltering heat the remainder of the 45-minute first half which drew to a close with the slim Prairie lead of 1-0.
After the break, both teams came out reenergized. Less than two minutes in, Jon Dyer showed his quickness, breaking through the Dodgeville defense line and pounding the ball in for the goal. The Prairie lead now extended to 2-0.
Dodgeville retaliated quickly. Just 40 seconds later, Zach Nelson, Dodgeville’s leading scorer, flew by everyone and pounded in a quick score to bring the Dodgers within one.
Déjà vu? Not tonight. Prairie’s defensive line, Nathan Specht, Evan Teynor, Andrew Waller and Gary Wynos, and goalie Wesley Schwager, with 15 saves for the night, shut down the Dodgeville attack. Prairie widened the field by driving the ball out along the sides to midfielders Nathaniel Oehler and Nolan Stram, who provided several strong sends to the Prairie forwards.
Mark Welter went one on one with Nelson, shutting him down. Ben Teynor went in through the ranks providing breaks from the energy draining heat.
In the 70th minute, Jack Stoeffler once again broke through, this time drawing the goalie out and then precisely dropping a pass to Preston Hendrix who tapped it in for Prairie’s third goal and a 3-1 lead.
The Hawks never backed down, holding strong for the final 20 minutes to capture a big 3-1 conference victory!
