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Beloit Memorial Boys Soccer Edges Waunkee in Regional Opener
As the lyrics of “Happy Birthday” rained down on Brian Denu in the post-game huddle on Tuesday night, the Beloit Memorial boys soccer head coach had plenty to celebrate as he grew a year older.
Most important was the fact that Denu’s Knights had punched their ticket to a WIAA Division 1 regional championship game by edging Waunakee 2-1 in a semifinal showdown at Jacobson Field.
But Denu also got to spend his cake day watching seniors Beckham Denu, Alan Cardoza and Javi Hernandez Silas get a win in their final home game of their prep careers.
And to make it all the more special, it was the last time Denu got to share his home turf with both of his sons with Beckham and sophomore Banks Denu both contributing in big ways to the victory.
“To leave with the win was amazing,” coach Denu said. “It was a special one. We knew it was going to be a tough one coming in because they do a lot of the things that we struggle with. They're big, strong, play smart and play long balls. I didn't think we played great, but in the playoffs it's just a matter of getting through.”
The score had been stuck at one-all for nearly 30 minutes of play and the 11th-seeded Warriors were starting to get aggressive with sixth-seeded Beloit’s defense having to clear several corner kicks and shield hard-kicked shots with their bodies.
With the two battling for possession in the Knights’ zone, the ball deflected back towards the goal off a Beloit player and Banks Denu was there to corral it. He tapped the ball around and found Eduardo Gonazlez-Terrero in the box, where the sophomore rocketed his shot past Keaton Porter and into the net.
“It was a quick goal that came out of nowhere,” coach Denu said. “Banks is really good at getting balls in the air to the ground. And those two are really good at finding each other. Banks is good at seeing the field and Edu has been on a tear.”
Down a score with 21 minutes left in the game, Waunakee tried to turn up the heat.
The Knights’ defenders had to clear a corner kick and a free kick while Beckham Denu blocked a shot from a surging Warrior and later made a nice save in the air in the corner of the net off a corner kick.
“It’s nothing we’re not used to,” the senior said. “We’re used to these close games. We’re a team that’s going to play you close no matter what. We're going to make mistakes, but I always encourage my back line to work as hard as they possibly can. And they showed out in the last 20 minutes of the game.”
Beloit took primary control of possession in the waning minutes and dribbled the clock out.
“(This win) honestly meant everything because I knew this was probably going to be our last game at Jacobson,” Beckham Denu said. “It's really awesome to be on the same team as Banks. He's a really good player and really positive. When I'm playing with him, it gives me a boost. And to have my dad as a coach, it's a cool family experience.”
The Knights’ offense was fiery out of that gate with Gonzalez-Terrero putting a shot on goal within the first minute. He used some fancy footwork to get off a fine shot that was snuffed out and Jared Barajas added a good outside try that was caught.
Gonzalez-Terrero finally found the net just six minutes into the night after he took a stellar pass from Banks Denu, drew the goalkeeper out of his area and fired it in.
“Edu is special,” coach Denu said. “He can finish with both of his feet and he's got the speed to get behind the opponent. He knows where he's supposed to make the runs.”
Beloit peppered the net through the first half with Miguel Aguilar having a nice shot from the corner of the box stopped by Porter and a try from Terrero bouncing into the hands of the goalkeeper.
“It's good (to get all those early shots) because we have them backpedaling,” coach Denu said. “Hopefully in their minds they're like 'Man, this is going to be a long day'. We did a pretty good job keeping that pressure up. But, there was a period of time where we weren't getting those shots. Our next game, we will probably have to finish a little bit better to contend.”
The Warriors tied it with 11 minutes left off a shot from Aden Waugh that was taken from high and outside the box, sailed past a slew of defenders and away from Beckham Denu.
But after that, Beloit’s defense didn’t allow Waunakee to get many strong looks at the goal and prevented the bigger and stronger Warriors from converting on any corner or free kicks.
“(Aden) is one of their best players," Beckham Denu said. "He is a right footed guy who plays on the left, so Brandon Luis-Aragon did a good job on him today. Our center backs really helped out. And in the last ten minutes, we kept getting the ball back up the field."
It was also an important win for a Beloit team rostering 10 sophomores, several of them starting, that was bounced in the opening round of the playoffs 2-1 to Waunakee in their frosh season.
“This is huge," coach Denu said. "Until you've actually done it, you don't really know what playoff soccer is like. The stands were packed, which was awesome, and hopefully the win catapults us this year."
The Knights will next travel to play No. 3 Madison East on the road. The Purgolders beat Badger 6-0, on Saturday at 1 p.m. to try and qualify for sectionals.
“They have a forward who is unbelievable,” coach Denu said. “But we'll worry about them a little bit later and for now we'll enjoy this.”
