Here are five great moments from my time on the boys lacrosse beat in 2019:
1) Pop and Lock Between the Pipes
Sun Prairie 9, Sauk Prairie 8
Across three years of covering high school lacrosse throughout Wisconsin, I have not seen a better goaltender than Sun Prairie’s Karson Sutton. I had heard about Sutton’s prowess as the state’s best goalie since I joined the Wisconsin Lacrosse Federation as blogger and social media manager, but I finally had the opportunity to watch him in person on May 21. He did not disappoint.
In Sun Prairie’s 9-8 victory over Sauk Prairie, Sutton saved 24 of 32 shots with countless saves that made him look more like a breakdancer out of the mid-1980s instead of a high school lacrosse goaltender in 2019. According to MaxPreps, Sutton finished the season with 273 saves, a .714 save percentage and a 6.0 goals against average. He’s attending Indiana University on a lacrosse scholarship this fall.
2) Lightning Strikes
Kettle Moraine 12, Arrowhead 8
Once again, the Kettle Moraine/Arrowhead regular-season matchup had potential postseason rematch written all over it. The rivals were undefeated in Classic 8 – Red play heading into the game on April 17, and Arrowhead was No. 2 behind top-ranked Kettle Moraine in the Wisconsin Lacrosse Coaches Association Coaches Poll.
It was a can’t-miss game for those reasons, and even junior Will Lauterbach – who had taken a crosscheck to the throat the previous weekend when Arrowhead had traveled to St. Louis for a tournament – made a miraculous recovery in time for the opening face off. Lauterback shook off any ill effects of that injury in time to score four goals, matching Kettle Moraine senior Malloy Murphy’s output.
Then Mother Nature had her say in the matter.
Lightning that was too close for comfort forced the game into a delay with 10:23 left to play, and lead official Randy Kohn ended the game about 40 minutes later as a 12-8 Lasers victory.
The lack of a conclusion turned the game into a “what might have been?” debated scenario throughout the 2019 season. Did the Warhawks have one more run in them to tie Kettle Moraine or even take the lead? Would the Lasers have kept Arrowhead at bay and won with or without the lightning? Will there be an underground rematch over the summer to finish out the fourth quarter and determine a true winner? (OK, that’s some wishful thinking from hardcore lacrosse fans.)
3) Break the Scoreboard
Marquette 16, Mukwonago 15
For lacrosse fans who prefer tight scores and defensive battles, this May 3 non-conference showdown was not for you. Marquette and Mukwonago scored early and often, combining for what would be the second-highest goal output of the 2019 season. (Cedarburg beat Kenosha, 20-12, during the regular season. In the playoffs, Kettle Moraine knocked out Appleton United, 21-10.)
The game at Mukwonago saw two five-goal scorers: Sean Duffey for Marquette and Zack Scheunemann for the Indians. Freshman Artemis Kettle also had four goals for Mukwonago in the Indians’ loss.
4) Next Man Up
Middleton 10, Waunakee 8
This Middleton victory saw a little bit of everything — a goal taken off the board for an illegal stick, rivalry-inspired physical play and even a goalie penalty.
The latter pressed freshman Jace Bauer into unexpected action with 5:08 left in the fourth quarter and the Cardinals holding onto a 9-8 lead over Waunakee. As Bauer made his way onto the field, his teammates erupted with support, especially his fellow JV underclassmen.
Bauer’s lone stat for his 1-minute appearance on April 23 was a ground ball he scooped up just outside the crease, but he stayed tough long enough to keep Middleton in the lead until senior Reed Kochan returned to the field.
5) Pump Up the Volume
Marquette 8, Appleton United 3
There were no surprises in this game – despite winning by only five goals, Marquette dominated Appleton United for the most part. What made this May 11 game memorable was the atmosphere Marquette’s game-day personnel created for the non-conference matchup at Journey House Packers Field in Mitchell Park in Milwaukee. There was a house DJ on the field blasting music during every time stoppage and belting out the name of every scorer. The DJ also had some fun with the penalties, alternating between famous theme songs from cop shows like Law & Order as the officials made their announcements.
On a personal note, it was the first lacrosse game for WLF blog’s unofficial intern: my son, Noah. He loved every second of the game, and now every other program will have to provide NBA-level entertainment like Marquette did that Saturday in May to keep Noah hooked on the sport!
