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MarshfieldAreaSports.com
STEVENS POINT – The Marshfield boys soccer team wrapped up its 2011 regular season with a 5-1 loss at Stevens Point on Thursday.
The Panthers (18-3-2) finished the Wisconsin Valley Conference season with an 11-1 mark, winning its second conference championship in the last three years and eighth overall. Marshfield finishes the regular season at 7-10-2 and 5-7 in the Valley.
Marshfield kept it close early, trailing just 1-0 after a goal by Yia Yang at the 19:55 mark.
After a Hunter Peel goal made it 2-0 at the 65:04 mark, Marshfield got back in the game when Alex Kelnhofer ripped a shot to the upper left-hand portion of the net from about 22 yards away to cut Stevens Point’s lead in half.
However, Marshfield couldn’t muster another goal and the Panthers put the game away with three goals in the final 8:38. Peel completed a hat trick with goals 45 seconds apart and Kyle McEachen scored with one second left in the game.
“We played pretty good in the first half, holding them to one goal, compared to the first time we met when they scored three times in the first half and three times in the second half,” Marshfield coach Ron Todryk said. “We just did not allow our defense a chance to get the markings and allowed Stevens Point to score the last three goals in the last 10 minutes of the game to put it away.”
Marshfield opens its WIAA Division 1 playoff season on Tuesday with a regional semifinal at Hudson.
Panthers 5, Tigers 1
Marshfield 0 1 – 1
Stevens Point 1 4 – 5
First half: 1. SP, Yia Yang (Hunter Peel), 19:55.
Second half: 2. SP, Peel (Aaron Bystra), 65:04; 3. M, Alex Kelnhofer (ua), 66:32; 4. SP, Peel (Yang), 71:22; 5. SP, Peel (John Grant), 72:07; 6. SP, Kyle McEachen (Yang), 79:59.
Saves: M, Erik Holm 8; SP, Jameson Hoerter 4.
Records: Marshfield 7-10-2, 5-7 Wisconsin Valley Conference; Stevens Point 18-3-2, 11-1 WVC.