August 31, 2021 – Jackson, Wi – The Port Washington Pirates squared off against Kettle Moraine Lutheran in autumn-like weather Tuesday afternoon. Both teams came armed with intensity.
Port senior Sean Bongiorno was first to find the back of the net at 11:10 into the first half.
KML responded 10 minutes later as junior Ryan Weed got the first goal of what became a monster game for him.
The teams went into halftime tied 1-1, but Port wasted little time regaining the lead in the second half. With just 1:39 into the period, Bongiorno scored again, making it 2-1 Port.
What followed after that goal was Weed and KML taking complete control of the passing and tempo, resulting in three consecutive goals by Weed, including one assisted by junior Char Birrittieri and another scored goal via a penalty kick.
KML junior Ethan Sprengel didn’t let a full arm cast, complete with club on his right-hand, hinder his aggressive play. Sprengel managed a goal in the second half at 29:27, to put the Chargers in the driver’s seat 5-2.
Weed would cap off his spectacular performance with his fifth and final goal with just under two minutes left in the game, sealing a 6-2 win for the Chargers off a dominant second half.
“We have a lot of people (seniors) leaving after this year, so everybody is doing what they can to make an impact and make this season memorable,” said Weed.
From a coaching perspective Weed said, head coach Matt Moeller did a great job making sure the team played with maximum effort and mentally the Chargers attacked the game with “tenacity and grit.”
As far as post-high school, Weed is undecided on a college and doesn’t rule out playing soccer either, but what he does know for certain is he wants to go to school for engineering.
KML (2-1) will travel to Wisconsin Lutheran (1-2) in a non-conference game on Thursday, September 2 at 6:30 p.m.
Port Washington (0-3) will host its first home game of the season as they match up against North Shore Conference rival Whitefish Bay (4-0) on Thursday, September 2 at 7 p.m.
