On what was a brisk November afternoon, the traditional saying is that it is perfect football weather, but Saturday night, Nov. 15, at Robert Fiskum Field, it was perfect fútbol weather. The UW-Whitewater men’s soccer team earned the NCAA tournament bid they had been hoping for and hosted the first round, drawing WashU out of St. Louis, a team as strong as any in Division III soccer.
The match was physical and fast. Both teams applied constant pressure throughout the entire game, and both sides held firm. Early on, it was all Warhawks, drawing corner kicks frequently and firing off shots. Senior forward Cooper Re pushed the Bears’ defense back repeatedly, but no goals were put on the board.
“I feel we had a lot of good chances, but none fell, and that happens sometimes in soccer,” head coach Tony Guinn said.
After the early flurry of chances, the rest of the first half became a defensive slugfest. Senior defender Zeke Healy anchored the Warhawk backline, preventing WashU from generating quality looks. However, the Bears found themselves on a breakaway late in the half, but freshman goalkeeper Austin Waite shut the door on the attempt, keeping the game level at 0-0.
Waite, the WIAC Goalkeeper of the Year, gives the Warhawk defense the ability to play with a little more swagger, as Guinn described.
“If you have a great quarterback, everyone plays differently. If you have a great point guard, everyone plays differently. If you have a great goalkeeper, everyone plays differently,” he said.
The second half was more of the same: stifling defense and stellar goalkeeping shutting down any attempt either side created. Both teams generated corner kicks, but neither capitalized.
As the clock dwindled down, Whitewater earned a throw-in deep in Bears territory in the 86th minute. The ball was thrown in and dribbled around before eventually finding the foot of Re, who fired a shot that went straight into the goalkeeper’s waiting hands.
At the end of regulation, it remained 0-0. Waite had eight saves in the first half alone, one of the most impressive performances he had all season.
With no goals scored in extra time, the Warhawks found themselves in a familiar situation: another postseason advancement coming down to penalty kicks. Whitewater had bowed out in the second round of the WIAC tournament to UW-Stevens Point on penalties and now had a chance at redemption.
Despite Waite saving two attempts, the Warhawks lost the shootout 3-1 and were officially eliminated from the tournament.
Guinn had nothing but positive things to say about his squad, even after such a dramatic and heartbreaking finish.
“We were picked to finish fourth in the conference this year. Last year we graduated 45% of our production,” Guinn said. “This team is very young and has the chance to be so much better.”
This year, the Warhawks lose only four seniors, including Re and Healy.
“Cooper and Zeke both committed to me early on in their high school careers and stayed loyal for four years,” Guinn said.
But it isn’t their talent that stands out to the Whitewater coach most.
“They are two of the nicest and least egotistical kids you will ever meet,” he said. “They are going to be phenomenal husbands and fathers someday.”
Regardless of the finish, there is nothing negative to say about the season Whitewater put together. From being projected to finish fourth to sharing the regular season conference title, the Warhawks grew into a cohesive unit, and the future is bright for Whitewater soccer.
“I’m just so proud I got to coach these kids,” Guinn said.
