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Quick kicks: WIAA Division 3 preview

10/25/2012, 8:46pm CDT
By ERIC ANDERSON

The first Division 3 semifinal at the WIAA state boys soccer tournament on Friday will see the past two state runners-up square off, while the second match pits a school that made its only other state appearance in 1994 against one that has only been in existence for four years.

Here's a look at the four teams shooting for the Division 3 title at Time Warner Cable Stadium this weekend at Milwaukee's Uihlein Soccer Park.

Schedule

At Uihlein Soccer Complex, Milwaukee
Live stream: www.foxsportswisconsin.com
Friday, Oct. 26
Semifinals
La Crosse Aquinas (15-6-2) vs. Winnebago Lutheran (18-5-3), 9 a.m.
Oostburg (24-3-1) vs. Milwaukee St. Anthony (24-3-1), 11 a.m.
Saturday, Oct. 27
Championship

Semifinal winners, 10 a.m.

La Crosse Aquinas Blugolds

Coach: Lucas Eagon, second season (28-10-2).
Record: 15-6-2 (6-1-1 Mississippi Valley Conference, first). Last 10 games: 8-2-0.
Averages: Goals for – 2.65. Goals against – 1.17. Shutouts: 13.
Final WSCA ranking: Honorable mention.
State tournament history: Third appearance, following 2003 and '10. State runner-up in 2010.
From the touchline: Shut out in each of first three games of the season (0-2-1). ... All six losses came against Division 1 teams. ... Senior strike partners Chris Paulino (20 goals, 8 assists) and Shane Hanna (15-18) lead the attack, which also includes junior midfielder Connor Rademacher (5-9) and sophomore forward Dante Pizzini (6-1). ... Senior goalkeeper Pat Vandenberg has 12 clean sheets.

Winnebago Lutheran Vikings

Coach: David Haag, 13th season (264-66-24).
Record: 18-5-3 (7-2-0 Wisconsin Flyway Conference, second). Last 10 games: 9-1-0.
Averages: Goals for – 3.08. Goals against – 0.92. Shutouts: 11.
Final WSCA ranking: Not ranked.
State tournament history: Fourth appearance, second in a row. Lost to Racine Prairie School 5-2 in the state final last year. Also state runner-up in 2005.
From the touchline: Two losses came to Division 1 sides – 2-1 to Green Bay East on Aug. 16 and 2-0 to Sheboygan North on Sept. 8. ... Also lost to fellow Division 3 state semifinalist Oostburg 2-0 on Sept. 15. ... Upset top-ranked Sturgeon Bay 1-0 in a sectional semifinal. ... Scored three goals or more 13 times. ... Four players have scored 10 or more goals: striker Richie Schultz (14-10), midfielder Aaron Markgraf (12-6) and defender Jacob Schraufnagel (11-1) – all seniors – and sophomore forward Jeran Huey (10-8). ... Junior keeper Caleb King has posted nine shutouts.

Oostburg Flying Dutchmen

Coach: Steve Herzog, 19th season (274-159-36).
Record: 24-3-1 (11-1-0 Central Lakeshore Conference, tied for first). Last 10 games:10-0-0.
Averages: Goals for – 4.29. Goals against – 0.57. Shutouts: 19.
Final WSCA ranking: Fifth.
State tournament history: Second appearance, first since winning the Division 2 state title in 1994.
From the touchline: Unbeaten in past 14 matches (13-0-1) with 12 shutouts, allowing three goals in that span. ... Outscored opponents 60-1 in past nine games. ... Scored four or more goals 14 times. ... Two losses to Division 1 teams: 2-0 to Sheboygan South on Aug. 18 and 4-1 to Manitowoc on Aug. 25. ... Senior forward Kortu Josiah is one of the state's leading scorers with 37 goals and eight assists. ... Junior midfielder Jake Swihart (15-25), senior striker Patrick Mauer (11-16), senior midfielder Grant Meerdink (15-3) and sophomore forward Michael Meke (10-6) also are regulars on the scoresheet. ... Aaron McKinster, one of five players to appear in goal, has 17 clean sheets.

Milwaukee St. Anthony Roman Legion

Coach: Jeff Serak, second season (43-12-1).
Record: 24-3-1 (independent). Last 10 games: 10-0-0.
Averages: Goals for – 3.50. Goals against – 1.21. Shutouts: 10.
Final WSCA ranking: Third.
State tournament history: First appearance.
From the touchline: This is the fourth year the school has been open and the second season for the soccer program. They went 19-9-0 and lost in the sectional finals last year. ... Posted just two shutouts in first 19 matches, but have blanked eight of last nine opponents and outscored them 31-1. ... All three losses have come to Division 1 teams: 3-2 to Milwaukee Ronald Reagan on Aug. 28, 2-0 to Glendale Nicolet on Sept. 15 and 5-3 to Milwaukee Tech on Sept. 17. ... Sixteen of the 19 players on the roster have scored goals. ... Forward Eduardo Gutierrez (32-10) and midfielder Bernabe Barba (21-17), both seniors, head up the attack that also features sophomore midfielder Juan Serna (5-14), junior forward Jose Bermudez (8-6) and sophomore striker Jose Flores (7-1). ... Junior Luis Hernandez is the goalkeeper.

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