May 2015

Middleton’s girls soccer team has some lofty goals this season.

But everything always starts with a Big Eight Conference title. And the Cardinals took a gigantic step towards that objective last Thursday.

Senior midfielder Mady Warda broke a scoreless tie midway through the second half and the Cardinals held on for a 1-0 win over Madison Memorial. Middleton improved to 6-0 in the league, while the Spartans slipped to 4-1.

“It was nice to see the girls put together a solid win that was close,” Middleton coach Mary Duffy said. “They clawed and scrapped for every second of the game.”

The Memorial win highlighted a wild week for the Cardinals. Middleton (9-5-3 overall) also defeated Sun Prairie, 5-0, last Tuesday, then dropped a pair of games at the Brookfield East Tournament last Saturday.

Middleton won the Big Eight Conference title last year. And the Spartans were a major challenger to take the Cardinals’ crown away this spring.

Middleton’s boys tennis team faced some of the state’s top competition last weekend. And the Cardinals more than held their own.

Middleton reached the semifinals of the Nicolet Sweet 16 Tournament, where it lost to Milwaukee Marquette, 4-3. The Cardinals eventually finished in third place, while the Hilltoppers went on to win the tournament championship.

“Prior to the Nicolet Invite we had not yet had a quality win,” Cardinals coach Andre Glass said. “So going into the weekend I wasn’t sure what to expect. Everyone showed moments of glory, but without a doubt, I feel we can, will and must do better.”

The Cardinals opened with a 5-2 win over Oshkosh North in the first round.

Middleton sophomore Jake Van Emburgh — who finished third at state last year and recently joined the team — notched a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 1 singles. Geri Uj, who had been injured the first month of the season, posted a 6-0, 6-0 win at No. 2 singles.

Amazingly, the postseason is just three weeks away for all girls softball teams.

And with the playoffs approaching fast, Middleton has picked the perfect time to heat up.

The Cardinals won six of seven games last week, highlighted by a win over Verona.

Middleton improved to 12-4 overall and is 8-2 in the Big Eight Conference.

Here’s a recap of the Cardinals’ terrific week.

• Game 1: Middleton 14, Janesville Parker 2 — The Cardinals rolled past the Vikings in the first game of a doubleheader last Tuesday. The game was stopped after five innings due to the 10-run mercy.

Rachel Everson led the offense, going 3-for-4 with a double and five RBI. Lauren Banke and Shelby Ballweg both had two RBI, as well.

MacKenzie Kopp picked up the win, striking out three and allowing just one earned run in four innings.

The schedule has been jam-packed for Middleton’s girls soccer team in recent weeks. But the Cardinals are hanging tough and remain in the hunt for a Big Eight Conference championship and a solid postseason seed.

Last week, Middleton went 2-2-1 overall and held its own at the Tournament of Champions in Iowa. The Cardinals are now 7-3-4 overall and tied for the conference lead with a 4-0 record.

Here’s a recap of Middleton’s week.

• Oregon 3, Middleton 1 — The Panthers raced to a 2-0 lead and never looked back last Monday.

“Well, we knew that they were fast,” Middleton coach Mary Duffy said. “But what Oregon is best at is quick transitions with more than two players in the attack.

“I believe the score reflects our communication breakdowns in our defensive shape from the forwards’ position to the back. The bonus of knowing they scored on our mis-shape is that we can attempt to fix it. So positives come from a loss.”