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"We endured:" Homestead's state soccer title well-earned
By Steven L. Tietz
Clutching her hard-won "Player of the Match" trophy, Homestead senior keeper Kelli Ausman said most soccer goalies view end-of-the-game penalty kicks with the same enthusiasm as a trip to the dentist.
"The exact words are not appropriate for print," she said with a laugh.
But following her stop of Oregon's fifth and final penalty kick in the WIAA State D2 title game overtime shootout June 18 at Uihlein Soccer Park, the only words Ausman had were howls of joy.
Her stop sealed a 2-1 shootout advantage and earned the Highlanders their fourth WIAA state title over the defending champion Panthers and their first since 2007.
"I finished my high school career the best I could, doing the thing I love the best," she said, "and I helped my team win a state title. That's all I could ask for."
The victory put the final touches on a goal that was set at the end of last season, a penalty kick loss to Menomonee Falls in the WIAA sectional final.
The 13-player senior group for the Highlanders had one mission, according to senior co-captain and forward Coco Wiencek.
"Honestly, this is just incredible," she said. "From the end of last year, we've wanted this. We met about two months before the season started and told ourselves that we were going to win state and we made it happen."
"This means so much," said defender and fellow senior co-captain Lauren Padgett. "There are 13 of us (in the senior class) and I've known and played with some of them since I was six years old. This is the cherry on the top for us. Eleven of us are never going to step on the pitch again. This is the last time (we play) so this has been on our minds all season."
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