It's WIAA tournament time in Wisconsin. After a first round bye in the boys state soccer tourney, the Sugar River Raiders finished above the Mauston Golden Eagles 5-0.

Ryan Hagen scored a pair of goals and Jack Leonard had two assists on the day. Aiden Hatleberg and Carter Siegenthaler also chalked up goals, advancing the Raiders to the third round of the bracket.

WIAA high school tournaments have a long history in Wisconsin. They began with the first state track meet held at UW-Madison in 1895, reported by WIAA to be "the first such venture undertaken anywhere in the United States." WIAA started running the state basketball tourney in 1920. The first WIAA soccer tournament was held in 1982.

In the Regional Finals last Saturday, the Raiders faced 2020 defending state champ, the McFarland Spartans. Coach Gentilli's game plan consisted of advancing the ball to McFarland's half, leveraging the Raiders "steel curtain" defense, a likely reference to the 1970's Pittsburgh Steelers defensive line, and "just playing soccer."

The fans packed the stands to see the Raiders vs. McFarland. After 80 minutes of intense soccer, the horn sounded with the score 0-0 sending the game into overtime. WIAA rules call for up to two 10-minute overtime periods, and if the score is still tied, a penalty kick shoot-out decides the match. And, this is exactly what played out.

McFarland edged out the Raiders by a score of 0-0 (2 OT), 3-2 PK shoot-out.

The Raiders ended the season with a 14-2-1 record, state ranked #10 in Division 3 schools, and undefeated in the Capitol Conference.

On behalf of parents, I extend special thanks to Coaches Gentilli, Hatleberg, Belknap, and Liegelr; Team Manager Faye Nolden; and Student Managers Haven Hatleberg, Megan Dyrhaug, and Paige Leonard for their commitment to the team.