One second late - Wausau West stuns D.C. Everest in Boys Soccer playoffs

The Wausau West Warriors boys soccer team shocked the D.C. Everest Evergreens 2-1 in the first round of the WIAA playoffs. The two teams played competitively the whole game, all the way down to an unforgettable final few seconds.
Senior Owen Blum opened the scoring late in the first half, putting West up 1-0 in the 36th minute. Everest knotted up the game early in the second half, though, with a goal by senior Jayden Kufahl.
The game remained tied for much of the second half, until West senior Alber Hayek knocked in a header in the 67th minute to retake the lead for the Warriors.
Everest fought for their second goal throughout the rest of the game. With just seconds to play, the Evergreens crossed the length of the field and found Kufahl again in front of the net in a last ditch attempt to score. As the game clock hit 80 minutes, Kufahl kicked the ball straight into the back of the net.
As the Everest crowd erupted and Kufahl and his teammates ran over to celebrate, it was determined that the clock hit 80 and whistles were blown before the shot was made, and the game-tyer would not be counted.

Wausau West players and fans stormed the field in elation, while the Evergreens were left with their season over in heartbreaking fashion.
D.C. Everest was on a hot streak to end the regular season, winning four and drawing one of their final six matches, ultimately finishing second in the Wisconsin Valley Conference.
Scoring has been a strength for the Evergreens all season, as they finished first in the WVC in goals scored and shots attempted during conference play. Head coach Joshua Roloff said that not capitalizing on their shots, though, was a main reason why his team fell short against West.
“Shooting and defending the high ball, that really hurt us,” Roloff said. “We generated a bunch of chances, we just couldn’t finish them. Credit to West, they put the ball in the net twice and we only put it in once.”
Reflecting on the game and the entire season, Roloff said he was proud of how his team never gave up, even when their backs were against the wall.
“I love the fact that they didn’t quit, that’s the biggest takeaway for me,” Roloff said. “We preach not quitting, no matter what the score is. It got a little shaky right after the [first West] goal, the guys were a little shellshocked, but they came out of the half and perfectly executed a play we were working on yesterday. We just couldn’t replicate that again.”
For the Evergreens, overcoming challenges and finding success was a theme all season, even if they couldn’t do so against West.
“It’s been a rocky road with injuries and guys having to step up,” Roloff said. “We came together and covered for one another, and I’m really proud of them for that.”
Wausau West came into the match after finishing 4th in the WVC with a 6-9-4 record, a marked improvement from their two wins a season ago. Head coach Farla Vue said that what’s been behind the improvement was the Warriors playing less as individuals and more as a team, which was crucial in their victory against the Evergreens, their first over them all season.
“Their ability to play defense together worked well,” Vue said. “Defending as a team helps [us] save each other’s energy and fight for each other. We were trying to perfect it throughout the season, and it turned up during the playoffs.”
That team play also translated to the offensive side of the ball. While senior Kaito Lor has been the Warriors’ go-to player on offense all season, finishing second in the WVC in points during conference play (9 goals and 9 assists), Vue was proud to see other players stepping up on offense.
“Based on [last season], they were relying on one person to shoot,” Vue said. “This [season] was more of a team effort in scoring. It wasn’t just Kaito, we had Owen Blum and Alber Hayek scoring the two goals, so I’m very proud of them for taking that risk to go get a goal.”
While Blum and Hayek were West’s two goal scorers against Everest, Lor did notch an assist on both goals.
Given their lower seed, Vue said the Warriors didn’t have any specific goals relating to how far they wanted to make it in the tournament. Instead, he hopes the team gives it their all and finds their own definition of success.
“My goal for the boys is to bring the same intensity,” Vue said. “I don’t know if we’re gonna win or lose, what really matters is what they do and if they want to fight. [After] today’s game, I feel like they’re gonna fight for it and fight to get to the next round.”
Wausau West’s strong playoff run ended in the regional final on Saturday, Oct. 24 after a 3-2 loss to 2-seed Eau Claire Memorial.