MILWAUKEE — Before 2022, the Kiel girls soccer team had never made the WIAA state tournament.
On Friday, June 19, it was the undefeated Raiders’ fifth-straight trip, and it continued for another day with a 3-2 victory in double overtime over New Berlin Eisenhower.
Kiel plays fellow unbeaten McFarland on Saturday, June 20 for the Division 3 state championship.
Taavi Saeger got Kiel on the board first in the seventh minute when she took a pass from teammate Jasmine Bink, splitting the defense and tapping it in with the Lions’ goalkeeper having fallen down.
New Berlin Eisenhower leveled the match in the 13th minute as Evangeline Schaffart took the ball inside the box off a feed by Piper Bissell before slotting it home.
Saeger scored again in the 45th minute for the Raiders, assisted by Harper Walsdorf.
It didn’t take long for the Lions to once again equalize. This time, it was Bissell scoring off the assist by Schaffart.
In the 92nd minute, Walsdorf and Saeger connected once again for the game-winner as Saeger slid the ball past the Eisenhower keeper after Walsdorf found her in the box.
The stats further illustrated how close the match was with both teams having five shots on goal and Kiel the edge in total shots 9-8.
But much like she’d done all season, Saeger made the big plays when the Raiders needed them.
Contact Tom Dombeck at 920-686-2965 or tdombeck@htrnews.com. Follow him on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @Tom_Dombeck.
This article originally appeared on Sheboygan Press: Taavi Saeger’s 3 goals lifts Kiel girls soccer to 2OT win in state semifinal
Reporting by Tom Dombeck, Sheboygan Press / Sheboygan Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
By Tom Dombeck, Sheboygan Press | USA TODAY Network
