SPORTS

Prep soccer teams face sectional test this week

Tim Johnson
USA TODAY NETWORK-Wisconsin
Everest senior defenseman Mike Sackmann is part of a Evergreens boys soccer team that hosts SPASH in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal Thursday.

WESTON - The D.C. Everest boys soccer team already has recorded one historic win in the postseason this fall.

Now the Evergreens (20-1-2) will try and build on their playoff resume.

The top-seeded Evergreens host Stevens Point Area Senior High in a WIAA Division 1 sectional semifinal Thursday and are two wins away from advancing to the state tournament for the first time in the program's history.Everest won a regional title last Saturday with a 5-3 victory over Eau Claire Memorial, the first win the Evergreens have recorded against the Old Abes.

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Memorial had eliminated Everest from the postseason in each of the past two years and three times overall since 2010.

"We had a team meeting before the season started, and our season goal was not only to get a No. 1 seed (for the playoffs) but to win a regional championship and then have the opportunity to go to state," Everest coach Manny Pollack said. "We have that chance (this weekend), but we have to get through Thursday and SPASH."

Everest is in the sectional semifinal for the first time since 2010 and one of two local programs still alive in the postseason.

Mosinee faces Waupaca in a Division 3 sectional semifinal after outlasting Clintonville in a regional title game last Saturday, which was decided in a shootout after a pair of scoreless overtime periods.

Both sectional finals are Saturday afternoon The winner of the matchup between D.C, Everest and SPASH plays at at Wausau West, while either Mosinee or Waupaca travel to Rice Lake with a state berth at stake.

It's the third matchup of the season between Everest and SPASH with the Evergreens posting a win and a tie. The programs met two weeks ago in Weston as Everest edged the Panthers 3-2 to secure the Wisconsin Valley Conference title.

Third-seeded SPASH (14-1-2) advanced in the postseason with a 4-2 win over Hudson in the regional title game.

"They've got a good midfield and distribute (the ball) well," Everest senior forward Seth Jaglinski said of the Panthers. "Plus (SPASH) being a conference rival, I feel that just builds up the intensity of the game.

"I feel that Eau Claire Memorial played a lot like SPASH does, so we can maybe watch that film, just build off how we played against them and see if we can convert more against SPASH."

Everest lost both a 2-0 and a 3-2 lead against Memorial in the regional title game but responded with and the final two goals of the game.

"The team has really responded well to ties this year," Pollack said. "When we get scored against (to tie the game), they seem to take it to another level. It seems to bring the group together, and we seem to play better. I don't know. They just seem to bounce back when faced with adversity."

Third-seeded Mosinee (10-2-5) dealt with adversity as well on Saturday.

Mosinee faced a two-goal deficit just 17 minutes into the matchup with Clintoville but rallied back and tied the score on Cody Jay's goal in the 54th minute.

The game went to penalty kicks, and Mosinee converted three of four attempts to advance.

"I've coached overtime games before and coached in penalty kick shootouts in the playoffs, but this one was unique," Mosinee coach Joseph Carlson said. "To go down two goals fairly early and come all the way back ... it's not for the faint of heart. My heart was racing in the midst of that game a bunch of times, but all the credit goes to the players for not giving in at any point. Obviously we gave up the two goals, but they never quit."

Now Mosinee faces top-seeded Waupaca (18-2-3). The teams played once during the regular season, a 4-0 Waupaca win.

"The are a very good team with a lot of seniors and players who are among the statewide leaders in scoring," Carlson said. "They have a kid (Seth  Boldt) who has 55 goals so far this year, so we are going to have our hands full defensively. If we are going to hang with that team, our defense is really going to have to step up. I know they can."

Tim Johnson: 715-845-0731, or timothy.johnson@gannettwisconsin.com; on Twitter @timmyjo11