MILWAUKEE — Defense was a major factor in the Aquinas High School boys soccer team qualifying for Thursday’s WIAA Division 4 state semifinals at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee.
The Blugolds needed to continue that performance to beat top-seeded Shoreland Lutheran and did.
But the Pacers entered the tournament with a strong defense, too, and that prevailed as they beat the Blugolds 1-0 to advance to Saturday’s championship game.
Aquinas (16-3-4) was able to get just four shots — two of them on goal — against Shoreland Lutheran, which controlled possession and finally beat goalkeeper Jackson Knothe in the 52nd minute for all the offense it needed to advance and deny the Blugolds a chance to play for the championship.
“It’s always a great experience getting to state and playing in Milwaukee,” Aquinas coach Ryan Capwell said. “We’ve done it twice, and both of them have been one and done, but that happens and is the nature of the beast.
“One team will finish its season happy and the other 70-odd will look back and try to figure out where it went wrong. We had success this season.”
Owen Hahm scored with a tip near the left post off an assist from Riley Strassburg at 51 minutes, 30 seconds to make the difference for the Pacers (19-2-1), who are trying to win their second straight state title.
The Blugolds kept Gavin Moore, who entered the match with 31 goals, scoreless. He also had just two shots on goal.
“(The strategy) tends to be just more bodies (on Moore),” Capwell said. “We didn’t man mark, and we had Harrison (Griffith) in midfield, and if we needed to rotate players from one group to the next, he’s good at helping direct and helping us not lose (Moore).”
Vincent Bahr, Calin Smith, Simon Wieser and Griffith had one shot each for Aquinas. Bahr had the first five minutes into the match, and Smith hit the crossbar near the end of the first half.
Smith hit the top of the crossbar at 27:18, and Shoreland Lutheran fought off a couple of Aquinas corner kicks in the final moments of the half.
“We got the ball up to Vinny, and he was pressing for a shot but couldn’t get anything off,” Capwell said. “He got it off to Cal, and he nicked the top of the crossbar. Cal has those moments where he can just rip a shot, and he did.”
Griffith gave the Blugolds their last shot on goal when he booted the ball from 20 yards out at 68:23, but Connor Hahm saved it for the Pacers, who shut out their 11th straight opponent.
“There are a lot of emotions in how everyone takes it, and the senior group will take it hard because it’s the last time they’ll wear an Aquinas uniform,” Capwell said of the loss. “But there should be a lot of encouragement. We had a 16-game streak without a loss, came to Milwaukee to play the No. 1 team in the state and hung with them.
“We showed we belonged. We didn’t create a lot of opportunities, but neither did they.”
