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By Paul Lecker
MarshfieldAreaSports.com
MARSHFIELD – The Marshfield girls soccer team’s season came down to a shootout, and with the help of an unfamiliar goalkeeper, the Tigers prevailed in a WIAA Division 2 regional final Saturday at Griese Park.
Senior Darian Molter went into net in the shootout and saved one shot, and added a goal in the extra session to lift Marshfield to a 3-1 win in the shootout over Shawano after the game was tied 1-1 after two overtimes.
Marshfield (9-8-3) moves on to a Division 2 sectional semifinal at Rhinelander (16-2-1) at 5 p.m. Thursday. Rhinelander went undefeated in the Great Northern Conference this season and also won a shootout in its regional final Saturday, beating Pulaski in a shootout 4-3.
Megan Klitzke scored for Shawano (13-8) and Molter had a goal for the Tigers in regulation for force overtime.
After two scoreless 10-minute overtime periods, Molter moved to goalkeeper for Marshfield in the shootout and willingly bringing the pressure of the game square on her shoulders.
“We always get ready for PKs (penalty kicks) right before playoffs and they asked me, ‘Darian, do you want to go in goal? You have the confidence and we feel you’re athletic enough.’ I said if that’s what the coaches want and that’s what’s best for the team, I would do it,” Molter said. “I don’t know how goalies do it because that is probably the most nerve-wracking position you could be in. I had to go in with a confident head and I had trust in my teammates that they would put in their PKs if I wasn’t getting the saves.”
Molter knocked away Shawano’s first shot from Lindsey McFarlane, then turned around and scored on Marshfield’s first shot in the shootout.
Shawano’s Morgan Klitzke fired high in the second round and Walker Guzowski followed with a goal for the Tigers to put them up 2-0.
After Shawano’s Sarah Dickmann and Marshfield’s Emily Goeppinger both scored in the third round, Megan Klitzke hit the crossbar for the Hawks to clinch the win for Marshfield.
“I think our five first shooters (in a shootout situation) are as good as anyone, anywhere,” Marshfield coach Steve Lindner said. “We decided to throw Darian in there at goal and have been practicing it just because it is a lot pressure on a goalie. With our two freshmen keepers, it was a lot of pressure, and a senior was OK with it. She responded and did real well.”
Tigers 1, Hawks 1 (2 OT)
Shawano 1 0 0 0 – 1
Marshfield 0 1 0 0 – 1
Marshfield wins in shootout, 3-1.
First half: 1. S, Megan Klitzke, 34:56.
Second half: 2. M, Darian Molter, 40:45.
Shootout: S, Lindsey McFarlane N; Morgan Klitzke N; Sarah Dickmann Y; Me. Klitzke N. M, Darian Molter Y; Walker Guzowski Y; Emily Goeppinger Y.
Marshfield wins shootout 3-1.