Wisconsin Soccer Central

Two No. 10 seeds advanced to highlight 14 upsets across the state as the WIAA girls soccer tournament kicked off Thursday.

Higher-seeded teams advanced in 105 of the 119 regional semifinals, not including forfeits. The favored sides were 55-7 in Division 1, 25-3 in Division 2 and 25-4 in Division 3. Those records reflect advancement rather than wins, losses and ties.

Four of the lower-seeded teams to move on to Saturday's regional finals did so on penalty kicks following ties.

In Division 1, No. 10 seed Green Bay East upset seventh-seeded Pulaski 2-0 in the Kaukauna sectional and 10th-seeded Elkhorn surprised No. 7 Lake Geneva Badger 2-1 in overtime in the Kenosha Tremper sectional.

A pair of No. 3 seeds were ousted: Campbellsport, which lost 1-0 in overtime to sixth-seeded Kiel in the Division 2 Plymouth sectional, and Ozaukee, which dropped a 3-0 decision to Cedar Grove-Belgium in the Division 3 Kettle Moraine Lutheran sectional.

In the Division 1 Whitefish Bay sectional, three of the eight scheduled matches were forfeits and the other five games had a combined score of 56-0 – including Milwaukee DSHA's 22-0 rout of the Milwaukee Madison co-op.

• River Falls (17-0-1) has posted 14 consecutive shutouts heading into Saturday's match against Hudson. The Falcons have outscored opponents 77-1 on the season, and the lone goal they've conceded came in a 1-1 draw against Eau Claire Memorial on April 21. River Falls and the Old Abes (15-1-6) are the top two seeds in the top half of the Wausau East sectional and are expected to meet in a sectional semifinal Thursday – Memorial's lone loss was 1-0 to the Falcons on May 17.
• Ashland (19-0-0) once again is one of the state's top-scoring teams with a stunning 107-2 goal differential on the season, and goalkeeper Kate Dufek has been called on to make just 20 saves. Over the past three seasons, the Oredockers are 69-2-1, have scored 429 goals – an average of nearly 6 per match – and have allowed just 10 goals in 72 games.
• According to statistics reported to the Wisconsin Sports Network, Brookfield Academy junior Eimile Pesch leads the state with 40 goals. Seven other girls have scored more than 30 goals, with Winnebago Lutheran junior Lexi Herrewig and Hustisford senior Brandi Peltier just one behind Pesch and Hortonville junior Aubrey Kampa at 38. Pesch's teammate, junior Liz Collins, leads the state assist list with 36 and also has 25 goals – meaning she's played a role in 61 of the Blue Knights' 117 goals (52 percent).