Middleton, On Top Big 8
Perched On Top
Written by Chris Walby
December 30, 2010
Reinging Big Eight Champions, Middleton is currently on top again.
A battle for sole possession of first place in the Big Eight Conference took place last week in Beloit. The Middleton Cardinals knocked off undefeated and Big Eight Conference co-leader, Beloit, 4-0.
Undefeated in conference play, Middleton currently sits on top of the Big Eight with a 7-2-1 record. The two blemishes in the Cardinals’ record came during week one at the Paul Meyer Tournament, hosted by University School.
The Cardinals, who were ranked third in pre-season polls, were dropped 2-1 by Fenwick High School (Oak Park, IL) and then lost 5-4 in overtime against eighth ranked Catholic Memorial/Pius (7-3-0), the next morning.
Catholic Memorial/Pius or CMP, got out to a quick 3-0 lead with in the game’s first two minutes. “We definitely found out (early) that we have to come ready to play every game, because any team can beat you on any given day,” said senior forward, Brett Skibba.
After dropping their first two games of the season, the Cardinals took flight. They have mounted seven wins and skated to a 2-2 tie against an Oregon Panther squad that ranked ninth in the state at the time.
“After the first game (Fenwick), I knew we would need a team effort every night,” said senior, Mike Derosa, a four year member of the Cardinals. A team effort is exactly what the Cardinals have been getting during their winning streak.
Senior standout goaltender, Eric Smith, who totes a 1.84 goals against average and a .926 save percentage, has been outstanding. Smith, a co-captain, shines in each of his starts and has been a key factor in the each of the Cardinals tight games.
Smith was injured during the CMP game and missed his next two starts. His back up, Devin Kaschinske, filled in for the injured Smith and posted two shutouts. Solid goaltending and a stingy team defense, has kept Middleton’s opponents off of the scoreboard.
In ten games, the Cardinals have allowed a total of 15 goals against, which may shock the pundits who pointed at the defense as the Cardinals Achilles heal. After a rough opening weekend, where defensive mistakes and turnovers, led to seven of the goals scored this season on the Cardinals, the team has allowed just eight goals in their last eight games.
“We (the defensemen) learned quickly that paying attention to the little details was critical,” said senior defensemen and co-captain, Sean Murphy.
“After putting in a ton of work and being tested by Janesville, Verona, Oregon and Beloit… I think we’ve gained trust from the team,” said Murphy.
While the Cardinals have been successful at shutting down offenses, they have been simultaneously putting up big numbers of their own, scoring 51 goals in ten games.
Senior forward and co-captain, Todd Koritzinsky, leads the team with 11 goals, 12 assists for 23 points. Koritzinsky, arguably one of the state’s top players and an impact player for the Cardinals, is putting together an incredible season.
The talent at forward doesn’t stop with Koritzinsky. Equally talented is Brett Skibba, the Cardinals leading scorer last season. Skibba, a senior, has spent a ton of time in the weight room, look no further then his big shot and speed for proof of that.
Other impact players and standouts at the forward position are junior Adam Derosa (7-8-15), senior Mike Derosa (4-3-7), sophomore Cam Brown (5-3-8) and senior Scott Carey (7-1-8).
As a team, the Cardinals are a physical group, but senior forwards Erik Hurd (3-1-4) and Nick Bybee (5-2-7) top their hit charts.
The Cardinals have been idle since their win in Beloit last week Tuesday and have had plenty of time to reflect on the first half of the season, while preparing for conference rival, Sun Prairie next Tuesday.
“Over break (holiday break from school), we’ve been working hard (in practice), listening to our coaches, focusing on the little things and tightening up our systems,” said senior Scott Carey.
When asked if the two week break from games and a week off of school was a distraction to the team’s focus, senior Mike Derosa said with a grin, “(the) first couple of practices were a struggle, but we’ve worked our tails off since. There’s no room to take steps back, we’ve got to get better everyday.”
