MEDFORD GIRLS SOCCER - Goals aplenty in Antigo rout; work to do in GNC after 1-0 loss

MEDFORD GIRLS SOCCER

MATT FREY

SPORTS EDITOR

The Antigo Red Robins have struggled to stop teams from finding the back of the net so far this spring and Tuesday was no different as Medford’s girls soccer team celebrated Senior Night with an 11-0 win at Raider Field.

Shayla Radlinger notched a hat trick, Sierra Tessmann scored twice and six other players scored a goal apiece as Medford set a program record for goals in a game. Medford teams in 2019 and 2021 had scored 10 goals in wins over Phillips and Antigo.

What pleased head coach Tanya Tessmann about this effort was how the offense was successful.

“In the past when we’ve played them, when we’re on offense sometimes there’s been history of every girl out for themselves. Every girl wants to score,” Tessmann said. “We went into this game not compromising on what we know and how to play soccer, to still play as a team and look for those passes. I think we did that. We even had some girls that could have taken a shot, but they were looking for passes. It was nice to see that teamwork.”

To that point, Medford’s stat book showed assists on seven of the goals. Junior newcomers to the team Riley Clark and Sydney Sperl scored their first goals and Audrey Ruesch got her first assist.

Antigo had some first-half success in catching Medford offsides, a tactic the Robins have used in the past to try to slow teams from sprinting by their defense. The Raiders, though, adjusted and beat it as the game progressed.

“It’s a good learning process for our girls, especially some of the newer players,” Tessmann said.

Alexis Szydel scored the Raiders’ first goal on a rebound just 1:38 in. Radlinger set up Sierra Tessmann for an easy tapin at 8:04 and just 24 seconds after that Szydel’s crossing pass set up Radlinger for her first goal.

The Robins held Medford for more than 16 minutes, but the Raiders ended the first half with a flurry.

It started at 24:51 when SierraTessmann got a pass from Amelia Pernsteiner, created some space in the middle of the field and buried her shot to make it 4-0. At 27:51, Radlinger carried the ball through wide open space and won her one-on-one with Antigo goalie Abigail Pennington. Just 24 seconds later, Bayley Metz carried the ball up the right sideline, cut in as she neared the corner and fired a shot that found the upper left corner.

Megan Schaefer tapped a short pass forward to senior Madison Clarkson, who sent a 25-yard shot that scooted under Pennington’s arms and made it 7-0 at 30:20.

“We had all of our seniors play, nine seniors out there tonight on the field,” coach Tessmann said. “That was exciting. We were able to sub in a lot and give the bench some experience and have fun doing it.”

Mallory Richter was credited with the first goal of the second half as her shot carried Antigo’s new keeper, Anna Hangartner over the goal line on her save attempt. At 45:59, Radlinger capped her hat trick off a well-executed give-and-go with Szydel.

At 52:47, Clark set up a perfect left-footed boot from Sperl that found the back of the net. Ruesch’s push up the right sideline and crossing pass found Clark for the 11th goal at 59:16, which was more than enough for the game to end at 60 minutes due to the eight-goal mercy rule.

“We just had some nice passing sequences,” Tessmann said. “We talked at halftime about still being a little more urgent. Sometimes we waited for the ball in the first half just because there wasn’t as much pressure. We still wanted to be urgent and make sure we went to it.”

Medford finished the first round of Great Northern Conference play at 2-1-2 with two shootout wins for 10 points. The Raiders are tied with Rhinelander for second place, five points behind 5-0 Lakeland, who won 1-0 at Rhinelander Tuesday. The Raiders are 5-2-3 overall.

Medford hosts Waupaca at 6 p.m. tonight, Thursday, in non-conference play. The Raiders have a non-conference game at the Barron Co-op Friday. Kick off is set for 5 p.m. The Raiders will be at Northland Pines Tuesday before hosting Rhinelander May 9.

Medford’s JV lost 3-2 to Phillips Tuesday on a last-minute goal. The Raiders got goals from sisters Tana and Kodi Rappe.

Lakeland 1, Medford 0

One play will often make the difference in a soccer game and that was the case Thursday when Taylor Heleniak’s goal off a defensive breakdown gave Lakeland a 1-0 win over Medford in a key Great Northern Conference matchup at Raider Field.

The goal came 15:24 into the first half. On the play, Lakeland’s Josie Wentland gained control of the ball about 50 yards out after a Medford throw-in. She and Heleniak passed it back and forth, then Wentland sent the ball forward where Heleniak got a foot on it before either Raider goalie Sophia Brunner or defender Talyn Peterson could get there. They wound up colliding as the ball bounced into the back of the net.

“That’s what soccer is, one goal,” Tanya Tessmann said. “The goal appeared to be some misjudging on our part when Brunner came out and then collided with one of our defenders.”

Lakeland came out as the aggressors and took 13 shots in the first half with seven of them being on goal. That turned in the second half with the T-Birds getting just one of three second-half shots on goal, but Medford couldn’t capitalize on its handful of opportunities. Brunner finished with seven saves.

Lakeland’s lone shot on goal came at 48:13 when Brunner caught a 30-yard knuckler at the right post that was kicked by Tayiah Bauman.

Richter carried the ball deep into Lakeland territory down the right side in the 43rd minute, but Lakeland goalie Ava Evenhouse took away her angle and made a fairly easy save. Evenhouse got the save on a hard shot by Clarkson at 53:20. Richter stepped in front of a ball kicked out by Evenhouse and put it right back on goal at 66:25. Makenna Tlusty sent a pretty through ball in Radlinger’s direction at the 70-minute mark, but Radlinger couldn’t quite there and it rolled harmlessly into Evenhouse’s hands.

Medford’s last good chance came at 76:25. Metz pushed a pass up the left side to Tessmann, whose centering pass again didn’t quite connect with Radlinger. Lakeland’s clearing attempt found its way to Tessmann, who headed a ball toward the front of the net that Evenhouse covered up.

“The ball had some weird bounces and that was in part due to our touches and how we connect and follow through,” coach Tessmann said. “It’s something we need to continually work on. It was still nice to see us get our heads on the ball. We had multiple players making conscious effort in how to direct it.”

Shayla Radlinger blasts this kick for her second goal of the night during Medford’s 11-0 win over Antigo Tuesday. Radlinger led the Raiders with three goals in the win. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS

Goalie Sophia Brunner gathers a bouncing ball before Lakeland’s Avery McKinney can get to it during Thursday’s second half. MATT FREY/THE STAR NEWS