The No. 1 seed Wauwatosa East Red Raiders dropped No. 2 Brookfield Central with a one goal shutout in the sectional final to punch their ticket to state. This is the first time in more than two decades that the Red Raiders will be competing at state for a chance at the golden ball.
Senior captain Reda Fensin mentioned that he’s been watching this program since he was a kid. “It means so much,” Reda said. “This team, the coaches, I’ve been watching varsity soccer since I was in elementary school. Seeing a team finally make it to state and I’m apart of it as a captain, it means so much to me.”
The Raiders’ back held up against the high-powered Lancer attack by making timely tackles and clearances. Led by Reda, he acknowledged how important team chemistry is to their success in defense. Fensin said that “it’s really hard. We have to talk all the time, but if we know what our other counterparts are going to do, then we don’t have to talk [as much].”
Foreign exchange student Diego Milocco came up with the game-winning goal in the 51st minute after breaking past Brookfield Central’s back line. After the amazing strike, Milocco and the rest of the Tosa East team sprinted the entire length of the pitch to celebrate with their student section, showcasing how close the players are to their supporters.
Reda said that playing in front of a student section like the have at Tosa East makes you “really want to win.” He added that “We really couldn’t do it without them… they’re the reason why we’re going to state.”
Wauwatosa East have captured the top seed at the WIAA State Soccer Tournament. They will face No. 4 Pulaski in the state semifinal on Thursday morning at 11:00 am.
The winning goal scored by #17 Diego Milocco
