DeForest girls' soccer upset Waukesha West, win regional title

At the 49-minute mark, the DeForest Norskies girls’ soccer team was awarded a free kick, right over the half.

Norski sophomore captain Olivia Osborne had one instruction on that free kick: to put the ball as deep as she could.

And she did just that.

DeForest freshman Violet Colwin then swooped in, got one foot on the ball, before it landed right in front of freshman Allison Rusch.

Rusch took one touch, put her head down and buried the goal.

That 49th-minute sequence was the only goal the seventh-seeded DeForest (12-6-2) needed to score the big road upset over second-seeded and ninth-ranked Waukesha West (13-4-2) in the Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association (WIAA) Division 2 regional finals on Saturday, June 6.

“It was a team effort, top to bottom,” Norski head coach Josh Howard said. “To go on the road in a big game with a very young team and get the job done, I’m extremely proud of them.”

On a sweltering 87-degree sun-soaked afternoon, coach Howard had one simple message to his group at halftime, with both sides deadlocked in a 0-0 tie.

“Let’s get it done in 40,” coach Howard said, not wanting to extend the game into overtime or a penalty kick shootout. “Let’s get out of here, get in the shade and enjoy that bus ride home.”

It was, indeed, a happy bus ride home.

While the goal from Allison Rusch is what put DeForest over the top, the Norskies’ stubborn defense was equally deserving of its flowers Saturday afternoon.

According to MaxPreps, it was just the third time this season that Waukesha West has been shut out.

Coach Howard was proud of his defense for stepping up, in large part due to their competitive nature. In other words, they’ve been there before, even if they are largely “inexperienced” relative to their opponents.

“A lot of the girls have played high-level club soccer, so they’ve been in big moments, they’ve been in big games, they’re definitely all competitors,” coach Howard said.

Inside the teeth of its defense, the Norskies reaped the benefits of freshman Hailey Estness holding down the No. 6, while also receiving a significant boost from sophomore Camille Stegmann and freshman Graci Morrison.

But for DeForest, Saturday’s win wasn’t just any regional final win.

Saturday’s victory marked the second consecutive season that the Norskies girls’ soccer program has punched its ticket to sectionals. Last season, DeForest advanced to the sectional final game. Per DeForest Athletics, it is the deepest postseason run in program history.

While the Norskies may have plenty of new faces this season, their ability to build off last year’s postseason success didn’t begin in late March. Rather, it started deep into the winter offseason months.

“You can’t just come to practice during the soccer season and think you’re going to get better. It’s the work outside of it,” coach Howard said on why DeForest has been able to play into June for the second straight season.

In victory, DeForest will now begin its quest toward a sectional title. The No. 7-seeded Norskies will travel to square off against a familiar opponent, sixth-seeded Monona Grove (10-4-4), on Thursday, June 11, at 7 p.m.

The last time the two inter-conference foes faced off was in early April, which resulted in a 1-1 tie. If DeForest wins, they will host the sectional final game on Saturday, June 13, against No. 1 seed Waterford or No. 5 seed Edgewood at 1:30 p.m.