Heights soccer splits

The Wisconsin Heights/Barneveld boys soccer team downed Cambridge/Deerfield United, 5-3, on Sept. 17. The Vanguards improved to 3-3 overall and 2-1 in the Capitol Conference. The win puts Heights/Barneveld one game behind conference leaders Lodi and Sugar River. “We had one of our best starts,” Vanguards coach Bartlett Holmes said of the first half. “We played with sustained intensity for the full 45 minutes.” At the 17-minute mark, Jack Haugen crossed a ball to junior Gavin Childs, who scored his first of four goals on the night. In the 27th minute, United was awarded a free kick, but Heights/Barneveld junior keeper Trevor Dimpfl denied the attempt. With one minute left in the half, Childs stole the ball from the United offense, ran it up the length of the field and scored for a 2-0 lead. United hustled to respond before half, but was again denied with another save from Dimpfl. “Trevor had an amazing game,” Holmes said. Early in the second half, United came on strong. For 10 minutes, Dimpfl and the defense held back an onslaught. “Senior captain Braydan Cymbalak was an absolute force in the back,” Holmes said. “All the defenders played well.” At 54 minutes, United senior captain Ben Incha sent a shot to the top corner of the net, bringing United within 2-1. Then at 68 minutes, a hand ball in the box allowed United to convert a penalty kick and tie up the game. “We were a little rattled and took a while to get our rhythm back after conceding the two goals,” Holmes said. In the 77th minute, though, Vanguards’ senior captain Rhead Jacobus received an elbow to the face, resulting in a yellow card being issued to the offending United player. Cymbalak sent the free kick up to the net, where junior Gibson Heathcote was able to punch it in for a 3-2 lead. Heights/Barneveld would not trail again. Childs then scored a pair of goals in the final 13 minutes and the Vanguards notched a big win. “Gavin was lights out,” Holmes said of the Vanguards’ leading scorer. “He had his best match of the season. This was the best 90 minutes of play we’ve had thus far. We want to continue to build on that.” It was also Teacher Appreciation Night at the game. At halftime, each member of the team chose to honor a teacher who had made a difference in their life. Holmes, who has a background in education, commented “I loved the Teacher Appreciation. A big thanks to (parent) Heather Schomber for putting this together!” • On deck: Heights/Barneveld played Lake Mills at Breese Stevens Field Tuesday. “We appreciate the opportunity,” Holmes said. “It’s always a thrill to play at Breese Stevens.” On Thursday, the Vanguards travel to Lakeside Lutheran.