Stellar season draws to a close

GRAFTON – A memorable season for the Sheboygan Falls Falcons girls soccer team came to an end, with a 2-0 shutout loss to the Grafton Blackhawks in a WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal playoff game Thursday, June 10, at Grafton.

Falls finished the 2010 campaign with a 19-4-1 record, to cap the second-best season in the program’s seven-year history. The 2008 Falcons posted a 20-4-1 mark to notch the program’s best season record to date.

The Blackhawks and Falcons were scoreless for much of the first half, until the 36:44 minute mark, when Blackhawks Carley Pfannerstill found an opening in front the Falcons’ goal to make it 1-0.

Grafton struck again early in the second half on a breakaway shot from Emma Fatla at the 49:45 mark.

“Our strength is our speed,” said Blackhawks coach Don Arnold. “We have some young talented girls, but give Falls credit. They took us out of our game and made us turn balls around.”

The Falcons were outshot 18-5 overall. Falls goalkeeper Lilly Rotter was credited with 14 saves.

Falls had several scoring opportunities early in the first half, with two corner kicks from senior Hannah Meyer, but Grafton turned both kicks away.

At the 64-minute mark, Falcons’ sophomore Allie Danneker barely missed the net on a free kick from 30 yards out.

“We played them well,” said Falcons coach Brian Mentink. “Their speed was a factor and they didn’t allow us to get many shots.

Mentink credited the Falcons defense for a well-played game.

“Rotter made a lot of stops,” remarked Mentink. “Grafton spread the field out well and made short quick passes. We weren’t able to advance the ball past their defense.”

The 2-0 loss marked just the second time the Falcons were shutout, during the 2010 season.