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Wagner gets hat trick in senior night loss to Peru
BY VAL TSOUTSOURIS
Sports Editor, RTC
Rochester girls soccer seniors, from left, Audrey Wagner, Adalynn Samuels and Skyla Mitchell were feted prior to a 5-4 loss in penalty kicks to Peru at the Brent Blacketor Memorial Sports Complex Thursday. Rochester (1-8-3) hosts Tippecanoe Valley in their regular season finale at 5:45 p.m. this Thursday. Sectionals begin at 7 p.m. Tuesday against Oregon-Davis at Argos.
Northwestern 6, Rochester 0
The Lady Zs lost to host Northwestern in their final Three Rivers Conference game Tuesday to fall to 1-8-3 overall and 0-5 in the TRC.
Northwestern finished TRC play a perfect 5-0 in their first year in the conference.
Rochester hosts Tippecanoe Valley at 5:45 p.m. Thursday in their regular season finale.
Peru 5, Rochester 4 (PKs, Thursday)
Audrey Wagner had a hat trick on senior night, and Taylor Navara also scored, but the Lady Zs could not hold on to a 3-0 lead and lost to Peru in penalty kicks Thursday.
The game was tied 4-4 after 80 minutes of regulation and two seven-minute overtime periods.
Peru made three of four penalty kicks. Rochester missed all three of their kicks.
Cassandra Blong hit the crossbar to start penalty kicks for Peru, but then Wagner hit the crossbar.
Thaya Reed tucked a shot just under the crossbar and across the goal line for Peru, while Rochester’s Skyla Mitchell sailed a kick over the goal.
Madilyn Clark went to the right corner for Peru while keeper Ky Correll stopped Navara’s shot.
When Katy Jo Kieninger converted for Peru in Round 4, the game was over.
“I think that the grit and the want-to are still a little lacking,” Rochester coach Chantal Rensberger said. “We had a really great game against Logansport. We were up 2-1 until six minutes, and then our defense falls apart. We’re up the whole entire game, and with two minutes left to go, we can’t play defensively. We’re constantly trailing, trailing, trailing. These girls are not understanding that means everyone gets back and plays defense. We’re not worried about scoring a goal. We’re worried about saving getting scored on.
“So yeah, I do think fatigue is a major issue, only because there are only 12 girls that are on the field,” Rensberger said. “I don’t have any subs. Well, I have one sub, so it is definitely making it difficult.”
Navara blistered a shot from the right of the goal past Correll just 2:05 into the game. Wagner scored her first goal with 31:59 left in the half when she buried a shot after a wild scramble between both teams after a Rochester corner kick.
Rochester was awarded a penalty kick with 18:54 left in the half after Mylee Heizmann was fouled in the box, and Wagner converted to make it 3-0.
Reed scored for Peru with 6:20 left in the half, and Blong put in a rebound with 49.2 seconds left to cut the lead to 3-2 at halftime.
Makhia Harding made a lunging save on a Peru shot with 32:35 left in regulation, and Wagner extended the lead to 4-2 with 27:44 left. Bria Rensberger looked to take a shot from the top of the box but instead slid a pass to Wagner, who put a low finish past Correll.
Rochester had a chance to extend the lead further with 17:15 left when Navara was fouled in the box, but she missed over the goal to keep the lead at two.
“Unfortunately, I didn’t really choose anybody,” coach Rensberger said. “The girl who got fouled decided to take it. That was not who I was going to go with. But at the end of the day, I mean, it was her foul, and at practice, she does hit them very well. Today she missed two. Definitely a learning opportunity for the team on how important things like that are to the game. That would have been it.”
Nora Brooks scored for Peru with 12:54 left to make it 4-3, knocking a shot off the right upright and just over the goal line.
Blong then notched the equalizer with 1:56 left when she took a clearing attempt and beat Harding.
Harding’s save on Kieninger with 1:20 left highlighted the first overtime.
Wagner had a shot that Correll saved with 2:18 left in the second overtime.
Peru had a shot that rolled across the crease that no player could get to with 1:35 left. Penalty kicks were imminent.
Seniors Adalynn Samuels, Wagner and Mitchell were honored in halftime ceremonies.
“Our seniors have made huge contributions, and my heart breaks for them tonight,” coach Rensberger said. “I try not to get too emotional because I’m a mom too when I coach, so I’m trying to take that mom aspect out. In previous years, I probably would have bawled my eyes out. I do feel like they’re going to be huge losses, especially Skyla and Audrey Wagner. They’re really hard on themselves. I feel like they have taken a lot of it on them this season, and they don’t need to. They need to just play their role and play soccer, and that has been a struggle.
“Adie Samuels is a brand new player, so she’s still learning on the field, and she did show a lot of hustle tonight and did the best to her ability. Every year, I feel the seniors are a huge contribution just because they’re seniors, and that’s who the girls look to. So there is going to be a huge loss in the back half of the field. … The development is happening, and those seniors have definitely contributed, especially with the younger girls that have come up to play.”
