Tritons take home silver

MILWAUKEE — The Notre Dame Academy Tritons boys soccer team took the runner-up title at the WIAA D3 State Championship with a 2-1 loss to the Catholic Memorial Crusaders. 

The Tritons would look to replicate their last State Title matchup with the Crusaders in 2008 in which they found a 3-2 win, but fell just short this year. 

“It’s tough. We were so close. That last goal that we were offsides on — to lose on something like that is tough. We played so hard and we fought hard. We just didn’t get the result that we wanted but I’m glad that we had the showing that we did. I think we showed who we were and I think that the guys will remember this game for a long time, so it’s good to be here,” said Tritons Head Coach Nic Sturdivant. 

After conceding quick goal in just the third minute of play that the Crusaders poked right past keeper Ryan McNerney, the Tritons turned up the intensity and held them to only one goal for the next 70 minutes of the match. 

McNerney came off his line to stop a 1v1 breakaway just a few minutes later, giving his team the spark they needed to stay in the game. 

Though the Crusaders retained possession for much of the first half, the Tritons solid defense and backside marking kept them in the game until the final minute of the match. 

“With our defense, we came through the playoffs and haven’t gotten scored on. Our defense and Ryan (McNerney) did a great job. To go with a 20-something goal differential against top-ranked teams and do that in the playoffs in phenomenal, I couldn’t be more proud of our defense,” said Sturdivant. 

In the 27th minute, Notre Dame Captain Liam West took on multiple defenders just outside the box and ripped a shot on frame into the hands of  Crusaders Keeper Isaac  Munoz-Perez. 

A team effort in the box by the Tritons moments later was ultimately turned over in the box but shifted the momentum in favor of the Tritons. 

Triton Defender Jacob Davister ripped a power shot from 40 yards out that forced an unlikely save by Munoz-Perez. 

In the 40th minute as the seconds ticked away until the half, West worked his way through the Crusaders backline and slotted the ball into the near post to tie the match. 

“It meant a lot. Being a senior, I really wanted to come out here and get the gold ball. We fell short. The other team was great, but we truly became a family and that means a lot to me. I really got to know those guys and they are like family to me now,” said West. 

As both teams took the field for the second half, the intensity would increase immensely with the State Title on the line. 

With more than 5 yellow cards being distributed to both teams in the second half, the battle continued as both teams played through, trying to find the difference-maker. 

In the 75th minute of the match, a ball in the Tritons box caused chaos and as the defense tried to clear the ball up the field the ball ricocheted past McNerney, making the Crusaders the lucky recipients of an own-goal, taking the game to 2-1 with just 5 minutes left to play. 

As time expired the Tritons managed to combine in the box and find the back of the net but an offsides call would end their hopes of claiming the State Title. 

The Tritons secured the WIAA State Runner-Up Title for the sixth time in school history, and the fourth time in the past 5 seasons.