Gerrard Diaz, gdiaz@shawanoleader.com
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School sophomore Megan Klitzke beats Hortonville defender Rachel Westphal to a ball during Friday’s Bay Conference match in Shawano. Shawano won, 6-2.
Leader Photo by Gerrard Diaz Shawano Community High School sophomore Morgan Klitzke runs down a ball on the sideline during a match against Hortonville on Friday in Shawano. Klitzke scored two goals, and the Hawks won, 6-2.
Getting three goals from twin forwards Morgan and Megan Klitzke, the Shawano Community High School girls soccer team beat Hortonville 6-2 in a windy match Friday in Shawano.
Hortonville (1-7, 1-4 Bay) took the lead two minutes into the match when sophomore Miranda Natrop got a ball past goalie Carli Hinnefeld.
The Hawks (5-4, 2-1) were quick to answer, though. A few minutes after Hortonville’s score, senior midfielder Lindsey McFarlane launched an arching kick that sailed over the head of goalie Becka Pieper to tie the match 1-1.
“It kind of seemed like we waited to score,” Shawano coach Bob Croschere said. “They scored and within two minutes of each of them we went right back and got the goal back. It’s like we were woken up. In both halves it happened.”
Morgan Klitzke gave the Hawks the lead three minutes later when she found a corner of the goal on a breakaway down the sideline. With four minutes left in the half, she scored again after running through Pieper, who came out of the goal to try and grab the ball.
After an early Shania O’Kimosh goal in the second half, Natrop once again scored, this time on a free kick, but once again the Hawks responded right away. Midfielder Sarah Dickmann scored with 8:51 left in the game on a penalty kick.
“It seemed like they had one player they tried to focus on the entire time,” Croschere said. “She had a couple of decent shots, she had her runs. It’s going to happen. Fortunately, we had enough offense we came out on top.”
Megan Klitzke wrapped up the scoring, getting a breakaway shot with 6:46 left in the game.
Croschere said the Klitzkes are playing like they are expected to as second-year starters.
“They’re playing well,” Croschere said. “They started on varsity all of last year as well. This is what we expect in their second year up there. They’re expected to put the ball in the goal.”
Hinnefeld had two saves, both nice fingertip deflections.
“She made a couple of good saves,” Croschere said. “She is still a freshman going through the learning curve with everything. She’s doing well so far.”
Shawano is in the midst of a busy schedule, having played five games last week, three this week and three more on Saturday.
“We’ll have six this week,” Croschere said. “It was somewhat scheduled that way, somewhat due to the rescheduling. It gets a little taxing on the girls. After we get through Saturday we slow down a little bit.”