Wisconsin High School Sports | Wisconsin Sports Network | WisSports.net

Special contribution to WSN by UW-Stevens Point communications student Chris Damerell

Slinger boys soccer, which started the season 1-7-1, has found itself peaking at the right time as it enters the Division 2 Sectional game on Thursday night against Green Bay East.  

When the season began, coach Brian Kiley knew his team had a lot to overcome from last season. The Owls lost senior leadership from the previous year and found themselves missing key members due to injuries and suspensions. After an abysmal 9-2 loss to Cedarburg coupled with losses to Green Bay Preble and Saint Anthony, Kiley found himself moving players around, trying to find the best combination. One of those players that found success at a new position was senior center back and leading scorer Eric Kuhn.

Prior to this season, Kuhn spent a majority of his soccer life as a midfielder.  But, times were desperate and Kiley had to move his best player to center back. The moved worked.

According to the coach, Kuhn takes his role as one of the team's leaders quite seriously and sets the tone for practice. With Kuh's high-octane attitude and performance, his teammates try to “play up to his standards,” Kiley said. 

When Kuhn was asked what the biggest difference was from this years team compared to last season's conference winner, he said that this years team has had better cohesion. Even though the team had good chemistry in the past, Kuhn said this year was by far better because both the senior class and junior class have grown up together and spent a lot of time together. “We are closer and share a stronger bond both on and off the field. We all are on the same page.”

Kiley also stressed that the on-field leadership from his experienced players has been a nice surprise. He said the team has three or four quality leaders, starting with Kuhn. Kiley joked that “even though he (Kuhn) is only 5'8”, he plays as if he is 6’2”.” 

On Aug. 27th, Slinger traveled to West Bend East. Even though the Owls had started the season 0-3, this game was looked at as an easy win by many of the players because Slinger has had success the past few years. During the first half, Slinger found itself down 1-0 at halftime, however. Kuhn says the shock of his team's halftime deficit was a good reminder that every game is a battle; perhaps a lesson forgotten after the Owls bounced back from a 0-3 hole to start to the season.

During the intermission, the teams experienced an hour-long lightning delay and when they came back, Kuhn said the Owls mentality had changed, he and his teammates finding the connection and cohesion needed to mount their second half rally to eventually tie 1-1.

Still, Slinger lost four of their next five games, but three of those setbacks came by one goal and the other was a 3-1 defeat to Arrowhead, the top-ranked team in Wisconsin.  

The Owls entered the postseason on a high note defeating Xavier 2-1, closing the regular season winning five of their last seven games. 

In the first round of the playoffs, Slinger defeated 10th seeded West Bend West and followed that up with a second round win against No. 2 De Pere.

If the Owls win against Green Bay East on Thursday, will set up a potential rematch against top-seeded Cedarburg. 

Kuhn says that even though they do not want to look ahead, he is excited for the opportunity to avenge their embarrassing showing from earlier in the year. “We are a different team. A much better team.”