By Mike Ramczyk
BURLINGTON – You might be my Lucky Star.
No, not the famous Madonna song, but actually the fine dining establishment in Burlington, where the Lady Demons varsity soccer squad gathered for breakfast Saturday morning before a WIAA Division 2 regional final tilt with visiting Sauk Prairie.
Head coach Joel Molitor, who said his team has struggled with early starts in the past, decided to switch things up in anticipation of the 11:30 a.m. kickoff. The changes kept coming, as a heavy rain delayed the match until approximately 12:30 p.m.
The plan paid off, as the second-seeded Demons executed on both ends of the field to perfection in a 6-0 rout of the Eagles.
Burlington (14-1-3) moves on to its second consecutive sectional, with a semifinal against No. 3 Milton (6-6-1), which ousted the Demons from the playoffs each of the last two seasons. The Red Hawks beat Waunakee, 3-2, in overtime Saturday.
Unlike last year, when the Demons were in the same situation, Molitor said the team is more vested in the postseason and has talked about making it to state all season. With only a few days of school left, it can be easy for teenage girls to check out, but this group is hungry to make history.
“Usually we’re a little flat in the mornings, so we got over here a little earlier, and we had time to relax during the rain delay,” Molitor said. “We tried to get them a lot of rest after Thursday’s game. We had fresh legs.”
“Not having to ask anybody to clear schedules for the state run is nice.”
Hannah Anderson, a defender who will be playing college soccer next season, got Burlington on the board in the 17th minute with a header. Later in the first half, Anderson skipped a free kick from midfield past a slew of defenders to May Jagodzinski, who beat the Sauk goalie for a 2-0 lead.
Morgan McCourt added three goals, including one which included fancy footwork and a left-footed boot back across to the right corner of the net.
Jagodzinski also made a defender look silly on her last goal, faking with the right before hooking the ball into the goal with her left foot.
Burlington’s offense had its way all game, firing 12 shots and seven corner kicks. Also, the stellar defense, led by Morgan Fisher, Lexie Reesman and Anderson, protected goalie Cora Anderson, who finished with five saves including a diving stop to her right to corral Sauk’s best scoring chance at the 65th minute.
Ashlyn Barry, Adrianna Castillo and Cora Anderson each added assists.
The Demons have now outscored two playoff opponents, 10-1, but a rematch with a physical, experienced Milton squad will provide a serious test.
“The mindset is better,” Molitor said. “We have a little more experience all the way across. The seniors would really like to get to state, and we think it’s a realistic goal.”
“We’ve had enough weaknesses at points in the past where things would need to go our way. This year, we can afford to have an off night and still win a playoff game. We’re just balanced. We’ve had eight or nine girls score a goal. Morgan’s got all those goals, but anybody can score. Hannah’s lights out on corners. Defensively, Reesman and Anderson are ready for the next level. Mack (Mackenzie Zwiebel) has really stepped up. Fisher is getting better and better, and Cassidy Askin can play anywhere on the field. We’ve got a lot of girls that can play in a lot of spots.”
Molitor said Milton was young last year, when it won a sectional semifinal at Burlington. The Red Hawks’ biggest strength is coaching.
“Their assistant coach is the women’s assistant at UW-Whitewater,” Molitor said. “Kayla, their head coach, is a really experienced player and coach. They will be well-coached.”
Check out Thursday’s Burlington Standard Press for more coverage and photos, and follow SLN Sports Editor Mike Ramczyk on Twitter @mikeramczyk17 for updates of the Burlington-Milton matchup Thursday night.
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