On Saturday night the Spartans hosted the Old Abes of Eau Claire Memorial for a pre-season scrimmage at UWS Superior Choice Credit Union Stadium. Memorial is one of the classiest programs in the state of Wisconsin and for years has consistently been in the top 2 seeds of WIAA Division 1 Section 1. Superior was in for a challenge, but was up for the task! The game would be played in four 20-minute quarters. Eau Claire Memorial was also honoring a former player, Ryder Woodworth, who died 5 years ago in a car accident. He was a recent Memorial graduate that was committed to playing at UW-Superior. Both teams, players, coaches, and referees observed a moment of silence in honor of Ryder prior to the opening whistle.
After the first quarter, the score was tied 0-0 as both teams were getting used to things. Senior Brady Bachand started in net and made a couple early saves. The Spartans looked solid and competitive against a very strong Memorial side. If the first 20 minutes were quiet, the next 20 were an explosion of activity and scoring.
Memorial struck first to lead 1-0 at the 22:15 mark. But the Spartans responded quickly. At 23:58, junior Marc Pagnucci headed home a corner kick from his brother, senior Aiden Pagnucci to tie the game 1-1. BUT, the Old Abes were even quicker to respond. At 24:59 they took the lead back. Superior showed resolve by earning a free kick just a few moments later. Marc Pagnucci sent it in and senior Spencer Kidd headed it home to once again tie the game, 2-2! Memorial fought back again by scoring at the 29:19 mark to take a 3-2 lead into the half. In a span of 7:04 the teams combined for 5 goals!
While there were a few opportunities, the third quarter produced no scoring for the Spartans. It was the Old Abes who were able to convert a couple more goals to take a 5-2 lead into the final 20 minutes. Superior headed into the final period hoping to get on the board again, but Memorial held strong to finish the game with a 5-2 win. Bachand had 4 saves in the first two periods, while sophomore Keagan Shannon had 5 saves in the last two periods.
The result was tough, but the team played strong and showed spirit against a formidable opponent. We appreciate Coach David Kite and his staff as well as the players of Eau Claire Memorial. They were a solid team and played with a high level of sportsmanship. It was good exposure for the Spartan boys to see what a high class program looks like. The Old Abes motto this season is "Gentlemen and Warriors." Good luck to those boys, and maybe we'll see you in the playoffs?!
The Spartans' season opens up at Chippewa Falls on Tuesday. Last season, Superior defeated Chippewa 3-1 at home. Eau Claire plays Tuesday night against Holmen, the team that eliminated Superior in last year's WIAA playoffs. Memorial defeated Holmen 6-0 in the second round.
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