Prep Sports|Girls state soccer tournament

Catholic Memorial wins Division 2 title

Crusaders join rich history

Catholic Memorial celebrates its state victory with the Division 2 championship trophy.
Catholic Memorial celebrates its state victory with the Division 2 championship trophy. Credit: Michael Sears
June 16, 2012
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By Mark Feldmann, Special to the Journal Sentinel

June 16, 2012 0

Years from now, perhaps when they are all old and gray, the Catholic Memorial girls soccer team from 2012 will gather and remember.

They will remember how they shut out 21 opponents to set a school record.

They'll remember how they posted six straight shutouts in the playoffs.

And they'll recall - probably with the biggest smile of all - how they won the school's fifth WIAA Division 2 state championship.

The Crusaders did all that Saturday afternoon at Uihlein Soccer Park, defeating Mount Horeb, 2-0. With the win, only Whitefish Bay, with seven, has more WIAA state soccer titles.

"Our theme before this game was join the others who came before you," said Crusaders coach John Burke. "They knew if they went on the field and got another shutout, that this team would join the school's other championship winning teams."

Mount Horeb, making its first trip to the state tournament, finished 20-4.

Burke also carved his name into state annals with the win. Saturday's victory was the 382nd of his career, setting a state record for wins by a Wisconsin girls coach. The previous mark was 381, held by Jerry Haugh of Madison Memorial.

"That's a testament to what the players in this program have been willing to do year after year," Burke said.

For the Crusaders (21-4-3), the title also helped erase lingering traces of last year's disappointing loss in the state semifinals.

"It was disappointing to not even get to the championship game last year, but you can't win all of them. It's very, very difficult to win state championships," said senior defender Katie Mark, who has won two in her four seasons. "This season we put a lot of emphasis on defense. We have a goalkeeper who is fearless. And getting a goal early really boosted our confidence today."

The match started in a downpour, but junior Anna Jurken shook off the elements and scored in the seventh minute off a corner kick by Carine Krausert. Jurken scored the first goal in Friday's 2-0 win over Appleton Xavier in the semifinals.

"Scoring early is a direct product of our senior leaders getting this team ready and being ready to play before every match," Burke said. "The success stems from that."

In the second half, junior forward Ava Olson helped create a penalty kick for the Crusaders. In the 45th minute, she took a long volley from Katie Golabowski in the box but was shoved down from behind. Sophomore midfielder Cristina From lined in the penalty kick to give Memorial a 2-0 advantage.

"It was a heck of play that Ava was able to stand in there," From said. "She's not big, but she is such a tough player. I didn't want to miss that shot after everything she did."

The Vikings were able to create some chances with the energetic play of freshman forward Cassie Handrick. But nothing really threatened Crusaders keeper Cassidy Lenz.

"We tried to make something happen, but nothing much did," Handrick. "Still it was a great year. You can never complain about getting to state."

Catholic Memorial dominated the scoring sheet, getting eight shots to the Vikings' two, and 10 corner kicks to zero for Mount Horeb. The Crusaders finished the season posting six shutouts in six playoff games, outscoring opponents, 26-0.

"We really didn't make any drastic changes, the girls just raised their level of intensity," Burke said. "That was key for them to take part of this tradition. This team has made their mark, and at some point, they will come and be able to talk about the championship they won."

Catholic Memorial 1 1 - 2
Mount Horeb 0 0 - 0

First half - 1, CM, Anna Jurken (Carina Krausert), 7:00; 2, CM, Christina From, 45:00. Shots - CM, 8; MH, 2. Saves - CM, Cassidy Lentz 1; MH, Shiloh Krantz 3. Records - CM 21-4-3; MH 20-4.

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