Marquette upset in WIAA D1 semifinal by Middleton on penalty kicks

The 22nd WIAA state boys soccer tournament appearance for Marquette came to an uncharacteristic end in the Division 1 semifinals with a 5-4 loss in penalty kicks to Middleton on Friday at Uihlein Soccer Park.

Head coach Steve Lawrence said he hoped a young team led by nine-man sophomore and junior classes is able to take lessons and motivation away from a hard-fought loss. Marquette fell before reaching the state final for just the third time in 22 state appearances.

"They’re gonna be hungry this offseason, you use something like this as motivation to drive you in every game. Sometimes the losses are what drives you," Lawrence said. "I hope they take away from this experience in the offseason and come back ready to go to try and get that championship."

Marquette scored its only tally of regulation and overtime on a long, skipping free kick from Charlie Anguil in the 21st minute to take the 1-0 lead.

Middleton responded in the 28th minute with an equalizer from senior Oliver Mayer on an assist from junior Liam Hafeman.

In the 29th minute Middleton failed to convert on a penalty kick opportunity for Riley Kann saved by Marquette junior keeper Connor Wyatt.

Both teams had their chances from there in both regulation and overtime, as Marquette outshot Middleton 19-16 and 6-5 in shots on goal.

"I thought the guys came out strong, first 15 to 20 minutes I thought we did a good job controlling the game," Lawrence said. "Middleton stepped it up the rest of that half, got a goal and I thought it was pretty evenly played both ways the rest of the way."

Hilltoppers senior Felix Huwiler said the Cardinals' one-on-one ability on offense and defense was as talented as any program Marquette had faced this season.

"That’s something we’ve worked on all year, and have been good at it, but when you come against these guys who also have been working at it all year, their 1-v-1 ability is something they should be very proud of and is what got them here," Huwiler said.

On penalty kicks, Anguil and senior Jake Ledger converted on Marquette's first two attempts before Huwiler took his mark. The senior, who is committed to play at UW-Milwaukee, went to his right and was saved by Middleton senior keeper Michael Fussell in what ended up being a decisive stop.

"It’s been the same run-up, same thing. Kudos to the keeper, he went the right way, he got the stop," Huwiler said. "Maybe went too quick, could have done a million things different, but penalties are penalties. It’s a matter of 12 yards, either you kick it the right way or you don’t."

Senior Aiden Ferber and junior Christian Shildt finished their penalty kicks, but Middleton's lineup of senior Carson Fitzgerald, senior Elliot Staresinic, senior Miles Benson, sophomore Brennan Mauer and junior Quinn Davis went five-of-five against Wyatt to clinch the win and upset the No. 2 seed Hilltoppers.

Despite the finish shy of a a state title game berth, Lawrence said the senior class consisting of Huwiler, Ferber, Ledger, Ben Anggara and Mason Brewer helped maintain and raise the bar for Marquette soccer.

"I think what kind of showed their true colors was that they were leaders. The guys looked up to them and I know they’ve set the standard just as high as everyone else has," Lawrence said. "The guys next year are better for having these guys around as seniors."

Huwiler said the positive memories from his time with Marquette soccer were too many to count, and he sees a bright future for the returning players in 2024.

"Marquette soccer is a place that you belong, it’s a family," Huwiler said. "(The underclassmen) have the experience, which is gonna be key for the years to come."

In the final, Middleton will be taking on Brookfield East, wihch advanced earlier Friday with a 4-0 win over De Pere. The Division 1 championship match is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. Saturday.

This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Marquette upset in WIAA D1 semifinal by Middleton on penalty kicks