Superior stays undefeated with win at home against Spooner

 

On Tuesday night the Spooner Rails came to town to battle with your Superior Spartans.  It was an earlier start than normal for the varsity team at 5pm, with the JV squad facing Two Harbors at 7pm.  But it was a beautiful night for soccer.

Superior got on the board first with a goal from junior captain Marc Pagnucci.  Junior Henry Haugen sent in a corner kick that Pagnucci headed past the keeper, off the crossbar, and into the net for a 1-0 lead.  While the Spartans controlled all the possession and had multiple opportunities, they could not find the back of the net in the rest of the first half.  Spooner took advantage of their one opportunity.  After a Superior throw-in towards the defensive third and a misplayed ball, the Rails gained possession and a quick pass and one-time shot was good for the equalizer to make it 1-1 just before half.

After a good talking to, the Spartans finally started finishing in the second half.  In the 48th minute it was a neat low cross from sophomore Trenton Mikulich that found the foot of junior Zack Monaghan who converted for the 2-1 lead.  Just ten minutes later, another corner kick led to the third goal.  Senior captain Chase Danielson sent in the corner that was headed by Pagnucci, bobbled around by the goalie and Rails defense, before Haugen finally deposited the ball into the net for a 3-1 lead.  And only three minutes after that came another sloppy goal for Superior.  Again on a corner from Danielson, bobbled by the goalie, and Pagnucci gained possession and took a shot that deflected into the goal for the brace.  A couple ugly goals for the 4-1 victory.  Ugly goals count the same as pretty ones!  And all wins are wins!  The Spartans improve to 6-0 on the season but will face a potent DC Everest squad on the road Thursday night.

In the night cap, the JV team battled with the Agates of Two Harbors.  The game was back and forth, with Two Harbors gaining more shots on goal but neither team was able to capitalize in the first half.  About ten minutes into the second half, Superior had thought they earned a corner kick, but the referee ruled that the ball had deflected out of bounds off the hand of a Two Harbors defender.  Freshman Henry Farell converted the penalty kick and the Spartans led 1-0.  The Agates responded quickly with back to back goals in the 55th and 56th minutes to surprise the Superior defense and take a 2-1 lead.  The Spartans battled, but gave up a back-breaking goal in the last ten minutes and fell by the final score of 3-1.  A great effort by the JV squad with the rare opportunity playing under the lights.  JV is now 3-3 on the season and will face DC Everest on Thursday as well.  

Superior takes two at River Falls

 

On Thursday afternoon the Spartans headed down the road for a matchup with the Wildcats of River Falls.  The 7:00pm kickoff was delayed due to some freshman football, but once the game got started it was a warm and beautiful night for soccer.  Superior dominated possession and had several shots in the opening minutes.  It seemed like a matter of time before a breakthrough would come.  Finally, in the 17th minute it was the Pagnucci brother connection that struck first.  Junior captain Marc Pagnucci sent a wonderful pass ahead to senior captain Aiden Pagnucci, who neatly deposited the right-footed shot inside the goalie at the near post for a 1-0 lead.  Things seemed inevitable that this would be a dominant Spartan performance.  However, the Wildcats had other ideas.  Throughout the first half, Superior moved the ball and created opportunities and multiple corners, but to no avail.  The finishes just weren't there and by halftime the score remained 1-0.

The second half was more of the same.  Frustration set in as more and more clear chances were either missed or knocked away by the defense and the River Falls keeper.  Most of the possession and opportunities came for Superior, but nothing was going in.  As the minutes wound down, a misplayed corner kick led to a goal kick for River Falls.  In the transition of play, a scrum developed between senior captain Spencer Kidd and one of the Wildcats.  Both players were issued red cards and both teams would have to play on with one less player.  That didn't slow down the Spartan attack as just minutes later it was once again Aiden Pagnucci who sealed the game with a lovely left foot inside the box.  River Falls ran out of gas and time, as the final score was 2-0.  Sophomore Keagan Shannon earned the shutout in goal with three saves for Superior.  The Spartans improved to 5-0 on the season and play Spooner next at home on Tuesday night at 5:00pm.

The JV team took the field for the earlier matchup at 5:00pm and they too dominated the possession and created more opportunities.  Six minutes into the game senior Landyn Eiynk set a short pass to sophomore Demion Campbell who scored from inside the box to take the early 1-0 lead.  About twenty five minutes later it was Eiynk once again with an assist, this time to senior Griffin Dallum who finished neatly to raise the lead to 2-0 Spartans.  And that's the way the game would end.  Several players had shots, and even some close calls and almost goals.  But no one could find the back of the net again.  The defense and freshman goalie Liam Perrault held strong in the back and Superior won 2-0.  Perrault finished with seven saves for the shutout.  JV improves to 3-2 on the season and plays Two Harbors next at home on Tuesday night at 7:00pm.

Spartans sweep Bluejackets in home opener

 

On Tuesday night the Superior Spartans boys soccer team hosted the Hibbing Bluejackets in the opening game of the Lake Superior Conference season.  It did not take long for the Spartans to get on the board.  In the third minute of play, senior captain Aiden Pagnucci placed a perfect cross into the box that senior Jem Pontillas headed home for the quick 1-0 lead.  In the twentieth minute, Superior struck again in similar fashion as Pagnucci sent in a cross that was blasted home by junior Henry Haugen.  Less than ten minutes later it was senior captain Spencer Kidd joining the scoring fun on a long low shot off the post with the assist going to senior Landyn Eiynk.  Superior led 3-0 at the half.

Not much changed in the second half as the Spartans continued to dominate possession and opportunities.  Kidd added a penalty kick goal after being taken down in the box.  Then in the last 3 minutes, junior captain Marc Pagnucci added two quick goals.  First, on an individual effort, winning the ball from the Hibbing defense and blasting a laser from around the eighteen yard line.  Then, adding another penalty kick after being tackled in the box with less than a minute to go.  Senior Brady Bachand earned the shutout in goal with 5 saves.  Superior improves to 4-0 on the season and begins 1-0 in LSC play.

The JV team also hosted Hibbing and got on the board even faster than the varsity.  After the opening kickoff for Hibbing, it was sophomore Demion Campbell's pressure and speed that led to a quick shot off the post.  Junior Oliver Farell was there for the rebound and Superior led 1-0 just thirteen seconds into the game!  The Spartans scored two more goals in the first ten minutes, and the route was on.  Superior led 4-0 at the half highlighted by a hat trick for Campbell.  The second half was no different as the Spartans finished with an 8-0 shutout.  Leading the way was Campbell's impressive performance, speed, and hustle.  He finished with 4 goals and 1 assist.  Farell added one assist to his opening goal.  Not to be outdone by bigger brother, freshman Henry Farell had three assists on the day and generated several creative opportunities.  Rounding out the JV scoring were goals by seniors Jayson Hutchins, Griffin Dallum, and Mason Specht.  Freshman Liam Perrault had a quiet day with just one save in picking up his first shutout of the year.  The JV Spartans improve to 2-2 on the season.

Both teams are back in action on the road at River Falls on Thursday night.  JV game at 5:00, varsity game at 7:00.  Both games will be streamed via the VEO app and to our team YouTube page.  GO SPARTANS!

Spartans Take Two in Eau Claire Quad

 

Superior traveled back down to Eau Claire for a quad hosted by the Eau Claire North Huskies.  However, the Spartans' games were on the campus of Eau Claire Memorial and would be against Sparta first, followed by a rematch with the Holmen Vikings that eliminated Superior in last year's WIAA playoffs.

In the opener, it was all Spartans!  Superior came out strong, fast, and finished frequently.  Jumping out to a 5-0 halftime lead.  By the time it was all over, the final score was 8-0 and the game was ended at the 65th minute.  Leading the way for the Spartans was senior captain Spencer Kidd, who tallied three goals and four assists.  Senior captain Chase Danielson added three goals and one assist.  Junior captain Marc Pagnucci joined in on the fun with a goal and an assist.  As did senior Jem Pontillas, with one goal and one assist.  Closing out the point scoring was junior Zack Monaghan with an assist.  Senior Brady Bachand earned the shutout and finished with one save.  With the win, Superior improved to 2-0 on the season and carried positive momentum into the second game of the day.

The Spartans were seeking revenge in the afternoon affair with the Holmen Vikings.  Holmen defeated Superior 2-1 in the first round of playoffs at NBC Spartan Sports Complex last October.  Both teams came out strong and played solid.  It was a competitive matchup from beginning to end.  Superior struck first when sophomore Keagan Shannon struck a beautiful unassisted shot to open up a 1-0 lead.  Unfortunately, the Vikings tied the game before halftime and the teams went into the break deadlocked at 1-1.  The level of play continued and the intensity was rising as both teams fought to find victory.  It was the Spartans who would prevail on this day, as Marc Pagnucci struck again around 70 minutes, this time with the assist going to Chase Danielson.  Superior held on to the final whistle to secure a 2-1 revenge victory.  Brady Bachand was in goal and finished with 11 saves.  The Spartans now stand at 3-0 for the season heading into the first LSC conference game, and first home game, this Tuesday night.

The JV team came into the day with the same schedule as varsity.  In the first matchup with Sparta, JV mirrored the first half dominance of the varsity and led 4-1 at the break.  Freshman Henry Farell scored a penalty kick, assisted on a corner, and scored two additional goals from range for an impressive three goals and one assist in the first half.  Junior Wyatt Wells scored the corner kick on a well-placed header.  Senior Griffin Dallum and sophomore Everett Kliegle each had one assist.  The team played well in the second half, but could score no more goals and held on for a 4-2 win.  Freshman Liam Perrault got the win in goal with six saves.

Unfortunately, the first game momentum didn't carry over for the JV like it did with varsity.  Holmen proved to be a formidable opponent and too much for the Spartan JV to handle.  Several players came away with injuries, and the Vikings scored early and often.  Superior fell with a final score of 6-0.  Perrault was in goal again, and tallied 13 saves.  The Spartans JV is now 1-2 on the season and will play next on Tuesday at home against Hibbing.

September 1st it will be the Hibbing Blue Jackets coming to town for a 4:00pm JV game and a 6:00pm varsity kickoff.  Let's go Spartans!

Spartans open season with road victory at Chippewa Falls

 

On Tuesday night the Spartans took the bus down Highway 53 to visit the Cardinals of Chippewa Falls in their season opener.  It was a beautiful night for soccer, with warm temperatures and a cool breeze.  The game started and both teams took some time to get a feel for the pace.  Chi High showed to be a very physical team but Superior held their ground.  After several minutes of back and forth action, the Cardinals took a break into the box on the far side and a foul was called resulting in a penalty kick opportunity for Chippewa.  Fortunately for the Spartans, the kick sailed over the goal.  After settling in, Superior controlled the possession and had several opportunities but to no avail.  The game stood tied 0-0 at halftime.

In the second half, the tension continued and the play was similar.  Superior had several opportunities but was not able to find the back of the net.  The physicality wore on and eventually the Spartans earned a corner.  It was senior Aiden Pagnucci with an inswinging ball to the near post that was perfectly deflected by senior defender Brady Bachand for his first ever varsity goal!  The blurry picture above was the best we could get of the moment right before the fateful header.

With renewed spirit, the Spartans carried the momentum and about 10 minutes later they struck again.  This time senior Chase Danielson headed forward a pass to Pagnucci who brought the ball back to his favorite left foot and chipped the goalie to the back post.  That beautiful goal gave Superior a 2-0 lead and all they needed to hold strong for the victory.

Sophomore Keagan Shannon earned the shutout in goal with help from the back line of defense that included freshman Christian Smith, sophomore Titus Thompson, junior Mannix James, and the aforementioned goal scoring Bachand!  Superior is 1-0 and takes home an important win against an opponent in our playoff section.  The JV team fell to Chippewa Falls 5-0 earlier in the evening and falls to 0-1 on the season.  Both Spartans squads return to action for a quad on Saturday at Eau Claire Memorial.  Superior will play Sparta at 10am and Holmen at 1pm. 

2026 Season Preview

 

The defending Lake Superior Conference Champions are ready to roll for another season of high school boys soccer in the northland.  The Superior Spartans have gone through open gyms, contact practices, conditioning, a full week of practice, and a pre-season scrimmage with Eau Claire Memorial.  The season starts tonight at Chippewa Falls High School.

This year's program is once again headed up by Coach Otto Berti.  Coach Berti enters his eleventh season at the helm as varsity coach and thirteenth total in the program.  For the third straight year the staff remains the same with Coach Thomas Bush assisting the varsity and heading up the JV, and Coach Evan Ridd as a volunteer assistant specializing in conditioning and goalkeepers.  Coach Bush is entering his tenth year with the program in this his second stint (2007-2011 and 2022-present).  Coach Ridd is now entering his third year with the Spartans.

Superior returns 12 players from last year when we finished 12-4-1 and the #4 seed in the WIAA playoffs as well as the LSC Championship.  This year's captains are seniors Chase Danielson, Spencer Kidd and Aiden Pagnucci, and junior Marc Pagnucci.  Once again Spencer Kidd returns as the leading goal scorer with a total of 70 career goals.  The Pagnucci brothers return with a flashy combo of passing, crossing, and finishing.  Marc comes off last season with 6 goals and Aiden finished last year with 4 goals.  Chase Danielson will be the anchor in the middle of the field running the CAM position.  Another bright spot is the return of both goalies from last year's championship squad with senior Brady Bachand and sophomore Keagan Shannon.  The Spartans bring back 8 returning starters and are looking to repeat as conference champions and take it a step further with a win in the playoffs.

The numbers are a little lower this year, with 33 total players in the program.  Nine seniors, eight juniors, six sophomores and 10 incoming freshman.  But the goal this year remains the same.  REPEAT as LSC champions, host a playoff game, and win!

Good luck to the Spartans!  We hope to see you out on the pitch cheering them on!

Preseason Scrimmage with Eau Claire Memorial

 

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.