This story is sponsored by Victory Apparel
By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The old adage that “winning breeds confidence” is evident with the 2013 Marshfield boys soccer team.
Since starting the season 1-2, the Tigers have not lost in regulation (they did lose in an overtime shootout to Kettle Moraine Lutheran) and they wrapped up the first half of the Wisconsin Valley Conference season Tuesday with another victory, beating Wisconsin Rapids 2-0 at Griese Park.
Marshfield stands alone atop the WVC standings with the victory, improving to 5-1 and 10-2-2 overall. Wisconsin Rapids, which was tied with the Tigers for the top spot coming into the game, drops to 6-5 overall and 4-2 in the Valley.
After a 1-0 loss to Wausau West on Aug. 27 in their WVC opener, the Tigers returned to the field the next two nights and posted victories. Those wins helped Marshfield regain a winning feeling that it does not want to let go of.
“In the past three years we’ve lost that first game (in conference) and it’s proved to completely destroy our confidence,” Marshfield senior Austin Gilbert said. “We came back that next night against Tomah and even though it was a nonconference game, we came out with the intensity of a conference game and we won that 6-0. We started finishing, which was something we couldn’t do in the West game, and then we got to Wausau East and it was a big win and we haven’t looked back.”
That confidence also played out on Tuesday, as Marshfield got off to a quick start when Camilo Mesa scored off an assist by Matt McCann just 2:35 into the game.
Gilbert drilled home a penalty kick just 37 seconds before halftime to put the Tigers up 2-0 and that lead held the rest of the way.
“Scoring early really helped us build our momentum,” Marshfield coach Ron Todryk said. “It gave us that confidence. You could see the confidence in the players.”
Marshfield goalkeeper Matt Brown had to make just three saves as the Tigers defense staved off numerous opportunities by the Raiders in the second half by clearing the ball away from the goal.
“It’s great to see a group of young men working this hard to accomplish something,” Todryk said.
After finishing 6-15-2 last year, and ending the season with a 1-7-1 record in their last nine games, Gilbert said the Tigers didn’t want a repeat performance and worked hard to make things right.
“We just play as a team,” Gilbert said. “We are one big family out there and it just motivates each player to work harder. The seniors don’t want to finish the same way it was the last three years. We kind of have a chip on our shoulder and to prove it to the conference that Marshfield isn’t a team that you’re going to get an easy victory from.”
Marshfield will try to avenge its only conference loss on Thursday at Wausau West.
Tigers 2, Raiders 0
Wisconsin Rapids 0 0 – 0
Marshfield 2 0 – 2
First half: 1. M, Camilo Mesa (Matt McCann), 2:35; 2. M, Austin Gilbert (penalty kick), 39:23.
Saves: WR, Wes Plowman 3; M, Matt Brown 3.
Records: Wisconsin Rapids 6-5, 4-2 Wisconsin Valley Conference; Marshfield 10-2-2, 5-1 WVC.