Cici Gazder didn’t hesitate to answer why Waubonsie Valley’s third game resembled the level of play the Warriors showed in finishing third in the state a year ago.
“We’re driven,” Gazder said. “We’re not content to simply do good and want to win, we know the level we have to perform at because everyone wants to beat us and keep us from achieving our goals.”
Wednesday’s 3-0 shutout of Oswego included a strong and consistent attack, and when the visiting Panthers (1-1-1) produced a surge, goalie Emma Rigby and the Waubonsie defense responded. For Rigby and the Warriors (2-0-1), three opponents have now been kept off the scoreboard.
Oswego starting goalie Madison Lockard tipped a Morgan Kemmerling shot over the bar, snared a Maggie Roe header and breathed a sigh of relief when a potential Waubonsie goal was erased by an offside ruling. The Panther sophomore made a sliding clear before Oswego’s first real threat on a Taylor Bailey free kick that dropped onto the goal net roof.
With 9:16 left in the first half, Roe set up Paige Filipek for a 13-yarder from left of center. That was Waubonsie’s sixth shot on goal and the seventh also found the back of the net. With 8:10 remaining, Kennedy Metzger assisted on Gazder’s eight-yader from the left side. It was the senor’s second goal of the year and second assist for the freshman.
The Panthers’ Lockard made another huge save and another offside whistle kept Waubonsie from adding to the tally.
“They’re an exceptional team, I can’t imagine we’re going to see too many teams that strong offensively,” Oswego coach Kelsey Champion said. “We played solid defense for 30 minutes, but they kept knocking and broke the door down for a three-minute span. I was glad to see us rebound in the second half.”
The Panthers’ Mikaela Mockenhaupt and Jordyn Schoen both tested Rigby early in the second and counterattacked enough to chalk up five shots on goal.
“They came out hard in the second and took us a little by surprise,” Rigby said. “But the key is communicating with my defenders and I’ve got a strong defense in front of me.”
Filipek tallied her second goal and third of the season with 11:39 left to be played. The Warriors’ Emily Dickens and Gazder earned a combination assist in giving Fillipek a wide open shot against second-half goalie Megan Rasmusssen. Oswego’s sophomore goalie made seven saves to go with Lockard’s six.
“Morgan (Kemmerling) had a real solid effort for us and really links the back line to our attack,” Waubonsie coach Julie Bergstrom said.
Oswego’s Caitlin Lukowski nearly had an answer 31 seconds after the Warrior goal, but was denied by Rigby. The Panthers, minus starters Kelsy Kraft and Kamryn Coppes, had Schoen go down with an injury and missed scoring when Mockenhaupt landed a late free kick on the goal top.
“We play the way we practice, we don’t give up and we keep pushing,” Mockenhaupt said. “Guess we can be annoying that way, like ankle biters who never seem to quit being a bother.”
Steve Nemeth is a freelance reporter.
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