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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – Two goals in an 11-minute span of the second half proved enough for the Columbus Catholic soccer team in a 2-1 win over Amherst in a battle of Central Wisconsin Conference leaders on Monday at Griese Park.
With the win, the Dons (15-2-1, 10-1 Central Wisconsin Conference) clinch no worse than a share for their fourth-straight CWC title. Amherst drops to 17-3 and 9-2 in conference play.
Following a scoreless first half, Cole Wallace scored 8:01 into the second half and Mason Edwards knocked home another goal 11:14 later to put the Dons up 2-0.
Edwards goal came on a breakaway where Amherst goalkeeper Finn Brunett came up to try to stave off Edwards and deflect the ball, but instead the ball squirted away and Edwards was able to regroup and slap it in to up Columbus Catholic’s lead.
Carlos Lopez scored with 3:01 to go for Amherst to makes things a little more interesting, but the Dons were able to hold on from there and clinch the victory.
“This is a team that has grown every game,” Columbus Catholic coach Jeff Edwards said. “If you consider the number of starting players we graduated last year, nobody would have thought we could have competed for the conference title. Every game this team has learned from their mistakes and gotten better. I am so proud of the progress they have made this season and I’m looking forward to the coming weeks.”
Columbus Catholic goalkeeper Carter Sommer made two saves.
Columbus Catholic will host Three Lakes/Phelps for a nonconference game on Tuesday at 4:30 p.m. at Griese Park before looking to finish off an outright conference championship at Gresham/Bowler on Thursday, which will also finish the regular season for the Dons.
Columbus Catholic will open the WIAA playoffs with a Division 4 regional semifinal at Griese Park on Thursday, Oct. 24, against the winner of a regional quarterfinal between Adams-Friendship and Tri-County on Oct. 22. Click here to view the WIAA boys soccer playoff matchups
Dons 2, Falcons 1
Amherst 0 1 – 1
Columbus Catholic 0 2 – 2
Second half: 1. CC, Cole Wallace, 48:01; 2. CC, Mason Edwards, 59:15; 3. A, Carlos Lopez, 76:59.
Total shots: A 8; CC 11.
Shots on goal: A 3; CC 6.
Corner kicks: A 4; CC 8.
Saves: A, Finn Brunett 4; CC, Carter Sommer 2.
Records: Amherst 17-3, 9-2 Central Wisconsin Conference; Columbus Catholic 15-2-1, 10-1 Central Wisconsin Conference.