PHS soccer team members celebrate after capturing the regional title. Photo by Dahlia Maroszek.
The Pulaski Red Raiders boys soccer team advanced to the WIAA state tournment by virtue of a 1-0 victory over Tomah High School Saturday at Saputo Stadumium.
Here's what you need to know.
THE TOURNAMENT: The 41st-annual Wisconsin Interscholastic Athletic Association State Boys Soccer Tournament will take place Thursday-Saturday, Nov. 3-5 at KOHLER Engines Stadium at Uihlein Soccer Park in Milwaukee, Wis.
TICKETS AVAILABLE: The WIAA uses GoFan Ticketing for all digital and cashless tickets. Admission is $11 plus online fees for adults and students. All tickets must be redeemed on a mobile device. To purchase tickets, visit the WIAA website at: https://gofan.co/app/school/WIAAWI.
TOURNAMENT INFORMATION: The single-elimination tournament features four divisions. Four teams will compete for the State title in each of the divisions. The coaches of the qualifying teams in Divisions 1 and 2 seed those two divisions, and the coaches of the qualifying teams in Divisions 3 and 4 seed those two brackets. Below are the pairings and time schedule of games.
Last year’s runner-up Whitefish Bay is the top seed. The Blue Dukes are making their 16th trip to the State Tournament overall. They have won seven championships, including three in a row from 2015-2017. They also won consecutive crowns in 1982-83 when the tournament featured one class. They added a Division 1 title in 1994 and another Division 2 championship in 1995. The Blue Dukes also advanced to the finals in 2003 and finished runner-up. They cruised past Nicolet 4-0 in the final of the sectional hosted by the Blue Dukes to continue their pursuit of their eighth championship. They finished runner-up in the North Shore Conference this season.
Defending champion and second-seeded Oregon returns to State for the second year in a row and for the 11th time overall. The Panthers have now won four championships. The first came in 1998 and then again in 2013 and 2018. They also advanced to the title game in 2017 and finished runner-up. This year, they rolled over Monona Grove 6-0 in the final of the Sauk Prairie Sectional for the chance to repeat as champions. The Panthers are the champions in the West Division of the Badger Conference this season.
Third-seeded Waukesha West will appear in its fourth State Tournament and its first since 2017. The Wolverines’ first two appearances came in Division 1 in 2002 and 2010, which resulted in losses in the quarterfinals. Their appearance in Division 2 in 2017 resulted in a tie in the semifinals, and they failed to advance from the subsequent shootout. The Wolverines qualify this year by virtue of their 2-1 win over Wauwatosa East in the sectional final hosted by Waukesha West. The Wolverines finished second in the Classic Eight Conference standings this season.
Pulaski, the #4 seed, returns to the State for just the second time. The Red Raiders’ only other appearance came in 2014 when they fell in the semifinals. This season, they edged Tomah 1-0 in the sectional final played at Pulaski to advance to the State semifinals. The Red Raiders finished fourth in the Fox River Classic standings this fall.
Division 2
Thursday, Nov. 3
#1 Whitefish Bay (18-1-4) vs. #4 Pulaski (18-4-2) - 11 a.m.
#2 Oregon (21-2-2) vs. #3 Waukesha West (12-4-3) - 1:30 p.m.
Saturday, Nov. 5
Championship Game - 11 a.m.
PRE-FINAL MATCHES LIVE ON THE WEB: The quarterfinals and semifinals of the WIAA State Boys Soccer Tournament will be streamed live on the WIAA.TV portal of the NFHS Network on a consumer subscription basis for $11.99 per month. To purchase a subscription to the live programming, visit WIAA.TV and click on the subscription graphic on the page. Archived streams of the games will be available on demand on the NFHS Network 72 hours after the tournament with a paid subscription.
FINALS ON BALLY SPORTS WISCONSIN: Watch the broadcast of the WIAA Boys Soccer State Tournament championship games Saturday on Bally Sports Wisconsin and on the Bally Sports app with registration cable system authentication. The Divisions 1, 2 and 4 games will be aired on Bally Sports Wisconsin. The Division 2 game at 7 p.m. will only be available using the Bally Sports Wisconsin app or by purchasing a subscription to Bally Sports Wisconsin Plus, the digital and mobile device service. To subscribe, visit ballysportsplus.com.