DeForest suffers 'cruel' loss in boys soccer state semifinals
MILWAUKEE — DeForest boys soccer coach Matt Scharpf didn't hesitate in his description of the sport.
"Soccer is a cruel game," the first-year coach said.
The Norskies were subject to that cruelty Friday as a relentless second-half push never resulted in an equalizing goal in a season-ending 2-1 loss to Waukesha West in a WIAA Division 2 state semifinal game at Uihlein Soccer Park.
Alfonso Mendez scored the winning goal for the top-seeded Wolverines, who advanced to Saturday's championship game against the winner of Friday's second semifinal between Elkhorn and Homestead.
"We had a number of good opportunities in that second half, and the ball just wouldn't go in," Scharpf said.
The No. 4 Norskies (18-4-1) pressed furiously to pull even after Mendez fired a left-footed shot into the upper left corner off a Noah Liebl assist with 55 minutes, 43 seconds left to play for a 2-1 lead.
DeForest had numerous chances, including a header that went just wide of the post, and had one last opportunity in the final seconds off its eighth and final corner kick.
Senior Jacob Tutaj sent the ball to the far left post, but Wolverines goalkeeper Angel Escamilla was able to paw away the ball before DeForest's Blake Lovick could head the ball toward goal.
Waukesha West (15-4-2) was able to run out the final seconds and earn its first win at the WIAA state tournament.
"It's kind of thematic that it comes down to that at the end," Waukesha West coach Blake Warner said about the Wolverines' late-game concessions the last two seasons, including with 14 seconds left in regulation in a 3-2 overtime loss to West De Pere in last year's semifinals.
"We've been focusing on every second counts, and you saw that today. They worked right up until the final whistle."
DeForest had a hard time converting on set pieces, thanks in large part to Wolverines senior defender Aidan Owusu-Asiedu's 6-foot-6 frame.
"When you're 6-6, it's pretty hard to play balls over and through that," DeForest senior Caleb Brandl said. "Especially on corners, he sits at the front post; I was back post and I couldn't see where Tutaj was kicking the corner from."
DeForest got on the board first when Antonio Anchondo tapped home a loose ball on the far right post with 10:04 played. DeForest's Landon Adams sent a shot on goal from just outside the 18-yard box, and Anchondo put the Norskies ahead after Escamilla spilled the rebound.
The Wolverines equalized late in the first half when Blake Frea fired home a rebound off a corner kick at 31:51 before Mendez put Waukesha West up for good.
"Obviously going down sucked, considering we dominated that second half," Tutaj said. "We did everything we could and we kept our heads up. We fought until the end."
Scharpf, who was an assistant on last season's team that ended the Norskies' 30-year state drought, praised his young team's effort, with just five seniors on the Norskies roster compared to 13 for Waukesha West.
"It really just shows how much these boys dedicate their life to the game," Lovick said about the team's effort. "We'll be back here next year if we can do the same thing."
