Chalk it up to "forget about it and move on." Sunday presented an opportunity to keep pace with the WPASL table-toppers Hayward Wolfpack FC following their forfeit win against Spartan FC. That opportunity went by the wayside as Lobos pounced on a slim Bateaux squad and ran out 3-1 winners.
This result marks a continuation in the trend of results between our clubs. Since Lobos debuted in WPASL in 2020, we have gone back-and-forth with wins and losses. We can only hope that the trend continues now when we return to Merrill in July for what will be an immensely important match.
Lobos got the scoring started in the 17th minute. A goal kick from the Lobos goalkeeper was contested in the center with the ball ultimately falling to the feet of a Lobos winger. With time on his side and space to move into, he put a ball in over the top of our center backs onto an onrushing Abraham Camargo (back-to-back all-WPASL First Team midfielder) who slotted under Jonathan Mullally in net for the 1-0.
A slight shift in formation brought control back to Bateaux, and their repeated forays forward found an equalizer right on the stroke of halftime. Dalton Hoepner played a simple ball through to the box and found Tye Kreutzfeldt. He nutmegged the Lobos GK and finished emphatically into the net to level the sides.
The match stayed tightly contested with neither team finding the breakthrough until 20 minutes into the second half. Too much play in the defensive half resulted in a few giveaways in those positions that were immediately converted into two Lobos goals. Those goals were scored three minutes apart - in the 64th and 66th minutes.
Head Coach Nick Noskowiak was issued two yellow cards in quick succession around the 82nd minute and sent for an early... beer, and he is now suspended for one league game.
Deflated and out of ideas and with Lobos sitting deep to protect their points, we couldn't come up with the solution to overcome the deficit. Unlike the last time our two sides played each other, this match ended with handshakes and good sentiments.
We play at home to the MN Togolese Heritage Team on Saturday, May 28 at 5:30 at Bollinger Fields #5. This friendly match is preceded by a Champions League Final party at Dooley's Pub (442 Water St, Eau Claire, WI 54703). Our next WPASL game sees us take on Poskin Jets FC (Barron, WI) at Bollinger Fields #5 at 6 PM on Sunday, June 5.
STARTERS: Mullally, Walters, Klusendorf, Lopez, Martinez, Hoepner, Burk, Rosenberger, Hunt, Nunn, Espanet
SUBS: Brotzman, Goodrie, Kreutzfeldt, Nelson, Schwartz, Tepole, Xiong
BOX SCORE
Scoring: Lobos FC - 17', A. Camargo; 64', Granillo; 66', Granillo; Bateaux FC - Kreutzfeldt, 45'
Yellow Cards: Lobos FC - Ramirez, 24'; S. Camargo, 40'; Bateaux FC - Lopez, 55'; Noskowiak, 82'; Noskowiak, 82'
Red Cards: Bateaux FC - Noskowiak, 82'