Eagles make a statement

The girls soccer season has just begun. But Sauk Prairie coach Drew Kornish believes he could look back on April 11 as a signature moment in the Eagles’ year. Sauk Prairie went to Division 1 power Madison Memorial and toppled the Spartans, 1-0. The Eagles also defeated Stoughton, 5-2, on April 9 and improved to 3-1 on the young season. Sauk Prairie’s win over Memorial — a school with 2 ½ times the students — could be a season-changer, though. “This will be a game we look back on with a lot of pride as our season progresses,” said Kornish, who has led the Eagles to the Division 2 state tournament each of the last three years. “It’s one that may very well set the tone for the remainder of the season.” What made the win even more impressive is Sauk Prairie was down to 14 players due to injury. By the end of the game, two more Eagles had been hurt and they had just 12 healthy players. But Sauk Prairie never blinked. McKayla Paukner scored in the sixth minute on an assist from McKenna Breunig and the Eagles made that lead hold up. “We knew we were going to have to be disciplined and determined to get something from this game, and these girls did that and more,” Kornish said. Sauk Prairie also toppled Stoughton in its first Badger Small Conference game of the year. Alexis Atkinson and Breunig both scored a pair of goals, and Paukner added another as the Eagles posted an impressive victory. “Stoughton was our first conference game of the year,” Kornish said. “In addition it was the first time we have faced Stoughton in the Badger Small. They proved to be a really good side with a lot of potential as the season progresses.” Atkinson scored in the first and 15th minutes on assists from Kate Himebauch and Breunig, respectively. But Stoughton answered each time and the game was knotted, 2-2, midway through the first half. Sauk Prairie went ahead for good, though, when Breunig scored in the 28th and 39th minutes to give the Eagles a 4-2 lead. Paukner added the clincher in the 63rd minute as the Eagles gained some late-game separation. “The second half saw a great individual effort by McKayla Paukner to wrap up the win,” Kornish said. “I’m really pleased with getting the kind of result we did from this one.” • On deck: Sauk Prairie hosted Reedsburg Tuesday, then hosts Waunakee Thursday at 7 p.m. The Eagles then travel to McFarland April 23 at 7 p.m.