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Behind New Berlin Eisenhower’s first girls soccer state champion team
Courtesy: Joseph Lehmann

Behind New Berlin Eisenhower’s first girls soccer state champion team

NEW BERLIN, Wis. — The HS soccer programs at the two New Berlin High Schools have been very good for a long time. Both the boys and girls have made deep runs into the playoffs in the past decade. The foundation for this success is attributed to Michael Dillett and his family for the work they did with New Berlin Soccer Club. After Michael’s tragic passing there were changes, and in 2013, Joe Lehmann and Steve Sagadin along with a host of other families volunteered to continue the club and keep competitive club soccer in New Berlin. From these efforts, a very talented group of girls came together led by five seniors to form the 2022 IKE girls soccer team. The 2021 team lost the state final the prior year, and Coach Nick Datka issued the challenge to the returning players – “Finish the Mission,” and win the state title. This group finished the mission and more. The team won the first girls soccer state championship in school history, and they did it with class and style.

Winning a state championship is not easy. 73 teams in the division begin with that goal and only one gets to raise the Gold Ball trophy. Ike’s season began with a good win against Waukesha West, 3-1. High School All American and co-captain Lauren Hernandez commented after the team’s win, “This is the best team we have had; we can win it all this year.” The next four games against good competition Ike went 2-2. Team members were concerned and felt pressure due to the high hopes and goals. Senior Jenna Dorhorst was credited by a number of the new or younger players for helping them adjust and appreciate the journey. A team tradition is to have different families host a spaghetti dinner for the team before each game, and this was one of Jenna’s favorite things. The dinners gave girls the chance to get to know one another away from the field, have a laugh, feel comfortable and enjoy the experience.

The team bonded and the lady lions found their groove – rolling off 14 wins and 1 tie, going undefeated in conference play and outscoring their opponents 97-9. The sectional final showdown against rival Shorewood was one of the top games in all of HS soccer this year. IKE found themselves down 0-1 in the first 3 minutes but were able to fight their way back. A goal from super sophomore Sarah Stadler evened things 1-1. 10 minutes prior to halftime first team all-conference senior Alex Nunug made a blazing run around the right-side flank and served a ball into Hernandez for the go-ahead goal and Ike never looked back. IKE went on to win the State semi-final 4-0 against Lakeland HS and then 6-1 vs. Green Bay Notre Dame in the state championship.

“The state championship has been a long time coming for our program,” said Senior co-captain and AP Scholar winner Taylor Rinzel. “Each year we got closer so being able to execute our final year made it really special.”  1st team all-conference Senior Suza Micanovic echoed those feelings. “Being on the bus with the girls dancing and singing ‘We are the Champions’ after we won the title was surreal. Winning the state title with my sister Tamara as a teammate was very special for my family.”

The team was equally impressive in the classroom with a number of girls receiving academic recognition. All five seniors were recognized for their academic achievement and will be attending great schools in the fall. Lauren Hernandez and Taylor Rinzel will continue their soccer careers as they both received Division 1 scholarships at Iowa State and University of Kentucky.

Watching a team work hard, play for one another, and have a blast doing it is something unique and inspiring. Combining all that with knowing the players and families involved is part of the magic that makes high school sports so much fun. This was a fantastic team and one the New Berlin community is very proud of.

This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.

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