Wildcat Soccer Team Wins Final Conference Contest

The boys’ soccer team continued its Midwest Classic Conference North winning streak by beating Messmer 6-0 Wednesday at the Uihlein Soccer Complex. The Wildcats finished their conference schedule with a perfect 7-0 record.

Sophomore goalkeeper Jack Wells and the dependable USM defenders in front of him, seniors Charlie Kies and Ian McKinney, and sophomores Brent Mackman, Nelson Kies, Justin Brandt and Jason Seter recorded USM's 10th shut out of the season and its sixth shutout in conference play.

“We dominated," Junior Robby Schmidt said. "Messmer tried hard. We responded to their aggressiveness and put it away.”

It did not take long for the Wildcats to take control of the game as they scored in just the 32nd second of the contest. USM’s other captain, senior Josh Baker sent a crossing pass to sophomore Ben Zwief. Zwief touched the descending ball past Messmer’s junior goalie Luis Villanueva.

Baker and Schmidt also scored goals for the Wildcats. He scored his goal when Wells punted a ball down field from the USM 18-yard line. The ball bounced twice, once over the head of a Messmer defender. Rushing ahead, Baker collected the ball off the second bounce and laced a shot past a stunned Villanueva.

Schmidt scored his goal on a header. Sophomore Nico Dermond passed the ball to his classmate Sam Bernstein in the penalty area. Bernstein chipped it into the air to Schmidt who headed it in.

Schmidt also assisted on a goal.  He collected the ball and ran it down the side then sent a pass back to sophomore Isaac Schlenker near the top of the 18 yard box, and Schlenker one-timed it past Villanueva

Sophomore Austin Matthews tallied two goals for the Wildcats. On the first, he received a pass from junior Spencer Haas near the top of the penalty area. As Villanueva dove to stop him, Matthews pulled the ball and blazed a shot in.

Matthews scored his second goal when a Messmer defender passed the ball back to Villanueva. As the keeper bent to get the ball, Matthews stole it from his fingertips like a stealthy pickpocket. Matthews then tapped the ball toward the goal, and it slowly rolled into the empty net.

In the game Villanueva made 12 saves and Wells made five saves.

“Our team is primed and ready for the playoffs,” Wells said. Now 13-1-2, the Wildcats start the playoffs at 4 p.m. on Tuesday when they host Salam on Charles James Field in a Division 3 Regional game.