With a three-game stretch over the course of two days, the Waunakee boys’ soccer season is finally underway.

The Warriors went 2-1 over the weekend, scoring victories at home over Henry Sibley and Middleton’s VR squad before falling to Beloit Memorial.

“The team showed that they can play at a high pace and maintain possession through quality passing and movement…” said Waunakee’s Head Coach Dave Kettner. “Our defense stood up well and proved that they can function as a unit and in an organized fashion, but we need to continue working on defending on an individual basis.”

First up was Henry Sibley on Friday.

Waunakee 3,

Henry Sibley 1

The Warriors found themselves trailing early; Henry Sibley scored the game’s first goal less than 13 minutes after play began.

Waunakee was able to put considerably more shots on goal than Henry Sibley, resulting in the Warriors evening the score at 1-1 just minutes before halftime. Jacob Mouille beat Henry Sibley’s keeper at the 42-minute mark, and the two teams were tied heading into the half.

Once in the second half, Waunakee’s offense was able to take advantage of a pair of opportunities; Noah Jakel scored at the 69-minute mark on an assist from Trent Jarvi, and Brad Li netted the game’s final goal with just under 10 minutes to go.

In goal, Will Meganck and Joey Fuhremann split the game, combining to make a total of three saves.

Waunakee’s next game took place the next morning against Middleton’s VR.

Waunakee 11,

Middleton 1

Once again, the Warriors found themselves down a goal early after Middleton scored on a breakaway at the 13-minute mark. Once Waunakee’s offense got rolling, though, there was little the Cardinals could do to stop it.

Starting with a Mason Miller header on a corner kick at the 23-minute mark, Waunakee scored 11 straight goals to put an early end to the game.

Noah Dorn, Zach Tiemeyer and Mouille each found the back of the net before halftime, and the Warriors took a 4-1 lead into the break.

After the half, Waunakee’s offense picked up right where they had left off, getting goals from Sam Acker, Nathan Dresen twice, Mouille twice and Jarvi twice to give the game its final score of 11-1.

“Although the Middleton game was impressive, there were still a number of opportunities that were missed,” Kettner added.

Fuhremann and Meganck again split time in goal, though there was little action on Waunakee’s end after the early breakaway for Middleton.

Waunakee’s final game of the weekend came against Beloit Memorial, and the Purple Knights provided the stiffest competition for the Warriors.

Beloit Memorial 3,

Waunakee 2

For the first time all weekend, Waunakee finally got the quick start against Beloit Memorial; Sam Acker scored the game’s first goal less than a minute after play began.

Waunakee’s 1-0 advantage lasted until midway through the half, when the Purple Knights were able to slip the ball past Waunakee’s Fuhremann to even the game at 1.

As time ticked away in the first half, it looked like the two teams would head into the half with the score still tied until Dresen found the back of the net with only 20 seconds left until the break.

Unfortunately for the Warriors, their offense was unable to break through for the remainder of the game. Beloit Memorial scored twice in the second half, ultimately handing Waunakee their first loss of the season.

“We need to continue developing consistency and accuracy in shooting when we have the scoring opportunities…” said Kettner. “We are still a little inconsistent in the pace at which the ball moves in some instances and and in our decision making.”

Waunakee returned home on Tuesday to play against Middleton, the results of which were not available for this week’s edition.

The Warriors (2-1) will hit the road on Thursday for their first away game at Elkhorn, followed by a trip to Sun Prairie the following Monday.