Scoring chances haunt Jays in regional semifinal match

Goal scoring has been the story of the season for the Three Lakes-Phelps boys soccer team as they fell 3-0 to No. 4-seeded Barron last week Thursday afternoon on the road in the WIAA regional semifinals.

Barron went on to play top-seeded Northland Pines in the regional final game Saturday. 

According to head coach Brad Volkmann, the score doesn’t show how the game really went or the way the team played this season. Scoring, or the lack thereof, is a part of the game and can be changed. 

“Barron was a tough game for us. I feel like the score did not indicate how well we played. It was kind of the story of the season; we played excellent soccer, dominated possession, but just had trouble finding the back of the net,” stated Volkmann. “We can fix the scoring issue, but I am most excited by the fact that we have a team that has bought into playing high-level soccer and it is really fun to be a part of.”

As the team fell short in the postseason, the Bluejays are excited for the future seasons to come. Three Lakes-Phelps will only lose three seniors to graduation this June. 

“We will lose three seniors this year who have been part of the program for four years. We will miss their leadership and their physicality and their knowledge,” explained Volkmann. “Christian Jolin gave his heart to the team; he is a positive leader who works very hard. Charlie Liebscher is very athletic and always puts pressure on opposing back lines. Peyton Pitlik is a big defender to get around, with a huge leg and great physicality.”

With losses always comes reward, which in this case is the returning juniors and the incoming class of eighth-grade athletes that Volkmann is excited to put out onto the field to fill in the gaps. 

“We are excited, however, that there is a large group of eighth graders coming in for next year that are soccer-first guys,” stated Volkmann. “We will be young, but our future is bright. We have a large junior class that will be seniors next year, so we should have a good mix of leadership and numbers.” 

The Jays ended the season with a 6-6-4 record.