Milton, Elkhorn sette for 2-2 draw in boys soccer
ELKHORN--Now that teams play 90-minute games, overtimes are no longer a part of regular-season high school boys soccer matches.
Milton and Elkhorn hope they’ll get a chance to break their deadlock in the postseason … again.
The two teams—which have met in WIAA Division 2 sectional semifinal play each of the past two years—fought to a 2-2 draw at Elkhorn High on Tuesday night. It might have been a prelude to yet another postseason meeting between the Red Hawks and Elks.
“Our biggest rival is Delavan-Darien, but nonconference-wise, this is starting to become a rivalry,” Elkhorn coach BZ Kayser said. “The games are important, because this is like a seeding game for our regional. And then we seem to run into each other in sectionals. It’s kind of fun.”
The Elks and Red Hawks are each now 3-0-1.
Elkhorn never trailed and got two goals from senior Andrew Slack. The first came just into the 17th minute off a nice run and pass from sophomore Kevin Romero.
“It was typical Elkhorn,” Milton coach Ryan Wagner said. “They pressure … and just try and force mistakes from you.”
Milton responded a little more than 10 minutes later. Junior forward Scotty Biancofiori worked a perfect give-and-go with Jacob Anderson on the counter attack to make it 1-1.
The Elks regained the lead with a little less than 20 minutes left in the match. Slack again worked the ball up the field with a teammate before burying his second goal.
“We were just sloppy in the back,” Wagner said. “We gave up seven corner kicks … and they almost got a third goal on a shoddy pass at the back.
“If we can clean that up, it’ll be better for us.”
Milton scored the equalizer again when Elkhorn’s defense broke down.
The Elks failed to pressure Milton senior captain Sean Grote, who carried in and rifled a shot that made it 2-2 with 16:52 remaining.
The statistics and ball possession were nearly as equal as the score itself, as the teams traded momentum back and forth in their typical fashion.
In last year’s sectional final, Elkhorn won 3-2, and in 2013, the Elks held off the Red Hawks 1-0. The latter was the first year the WIAA moved to four divisions for postseason play. Elkhorn and Milton were Division 1 teams in the previous three-division format.
“I was really happy with how we played tonight, and I thought it was really evenly matched,” Kayser said. “At times we caused them some problems, but at times our pressure allowed them to have a counter and create offense at their end. It was kind of like a fast-paced basketball game.
“Hopefully we can see them again.”