Eagles capture regional crown

Sauk Prairie has built one of the elite girls soccer programs in the state in recent years. Now, to be the best, the Eagles will have to beat the best. Sauk Prairie won a WIAA Division 2 regional championship last Saturday thanks to a 1-0 win over DeForest. Next up is a date with Oregon, which has been to eight straight state tournaments and won three titles in that time. The Panthers, seeded first in the sectional, will host the fourth-seeded Eagles in a sectional semifinal Thursday at 7 p.m. The winner of that match will meet either second-seeded Westosha Central or third-seeded Elkhorn in a sectional final Saturday at DeForest at 1 p.m.. “Oregon has proven over the past three seasons they are one of the top programs in the state regardless of division,” said Eagles coach Drew Kornish, whose team improved to 11-3-2 last week. “From coaching to playing, they are so talented and expect the best of each other every time on the field. I expect no different on Thursday.” The Eagles — who have reached three straight state tournaments themselves — have also become a state power in recent years. And Sauk Prairie displayed just that during regional play. The Eagles begin their postseason journey with an 11-0 dismantling of 13th-seeded Portage/Poynette in a regional semifinal on May 28. Host Sauk Prairie got goals from 10 different players and posted its largest win of the year in terms of margin of victory. The Eagles got goals from Ellery Apel, McKenna Breunig, McKayla Paukner,  Kenzi Kliest, Cora Brickl, Marin Alisch, Audrey Brickl, Erelyn Apel, Leah Allen and Savannah Liegel. Sauk Prairie also scored on an “own goal.” Paukner added two assists, while Ellery Apel, Erelyn Apel and Alisch all had assists, as well. “This game was a great chance to continue our run of positive play,” Kornish said. The host Eagles then edged fifth-seeded DeForest in a thriller last Saturday. Paukner had the game’s lone goal when she picked up a ball in the middle and finished from the top of the 18 in the 60th minute. The teams had tied, 0-0, earlier in the year, so Sauk Prairie knew it was going to be in for a dogfight.  “We got off to a great start creating three or four really good chances, but were not able to finish them,” Kornish said. “This left it 0-0 at half in a pretty balanced game. “McKayla was able to do what she has all season for us, though. From there we were able to hold them out for the remainder of the game.” Now, the Eagles take aim at an Oregon side that’s 14-1-1 and ranked No. 1 in the state in Division 2.  During the Panthers’ eight year run of state tournament appearances, they have three championships and three runner-up finishes. Oregon is also a remarkable 155-13-22 in that time, an .874 winning percentage. This year’s Panthers have suffered just one loss — a 1-0 setback at McFarland on May 3. McFarland also defeated Sauk Prairie, 1-0, on April 23. While the Eagles know the task is tall, they know they can play with anyone — something they’ve proven with three straight trips to state themselves. “We understand the role we are playing walking into this contest and are reveling in the opportunity to go out and give everything we have against this side,” Kornish said.