They saved their best for last.
They pushed the No. 2 seed in their sectional to the brink of elimination.
In the end, though, it wasn’t quite enough.
Middleton’s girls soccer team gave a spirited effort, but fell to Kettle Moraine, 2-1, in a WIAA Division 1 regional final last Saturday. The 10th-seeded Cardinals had reached that game after upsetting seventh-seeded Oconomowoc, 2-1, on May 31.
“I couldn't be more proud of the effort and heart that they put into that game,” Middleton coach Mary Duffy said of the Cardinals’ loss to Kettle Moraine. “They came to battle and that is exactly what they did.”
Middleton keeper Naiya Rajpal had the game of her life, turning back one Lasers’ shot after another and keeping the Cardinals in the game.
“Rajpal saved her best game for last,” Duffy said. “She played out of her mind with point blank save after point blank save.