Port, Grafton, Stand Out In Soccer

It’s hard to stand out in North Shore Conference boys’ soccer, but six players from Grafton and Port Washington high school did.

Port senior midfielder Ben Hughes and Grafton junior midfielder Max Stilb each made the NSC second team.

Pirate junior forward Charlie Neitzke and senior defender Jake Markiewicz earned honorable mention, as did Black Hawk senior defender Brandon Pegelow, junior defender Victor Geiser and senior goalkeeper Isaiah Voiland.

Hughes had 10 goals and nine assists for a team that scored 27. This is the second year he made the second team.

“I think in any other conference he’s a first-teamer, and he’s a first-teamer for three years,” coach Sean O’Brien said.

“He’s the other coach on the field. We go to him at halftime to see what he sees.”

Hughes has seen plenty. He played 78 games in the conference.

Stilb scored nine goals and had seven assists.

“The thing that stands out with Max is the ability to play through balls into players. He has great vision,” coach Don Arnold said.

Despite being the focus of opponents’ defenses, Stilb could still score and play tough defense. He was also a team captain.

Neitzke scored three goals and had five assists, drawing praise from other coaches without putting up big numbers.

“He puts guys under pressure, and he can finish,” O’Brien said.

Markiewicz solidified Port’s defense as a three-year starter.

O’Brien said he tried to move him to midfield but lost too much on defense.

“We’re a much different team without him in. He covers a lot of ground for a lot of guys,” he said.

Pegelow had two goals and two assists. For most of the season he played center back and organized the Hawks’ defense as a captain. He moved to midfield late and “created a lot of opportunities,” Arnold said.

He played nearly every minute of the season and scored on two long free kicks.

Geiser scored one goal and had two assists.

“He’s just a workhouse. The guy is relentless, has no fear,” Arnold said.

Geiser played up on offense and then got back to mark some of the opponents’ best players.

“You know if he’s on the field, he’s working for his team,” Arnold said.

Voiland kept the Hawks in games by making the saves he should have and some other outstanding ones.

“He had a phenomenal year,” Arnold said. “His improvement last year to this year was top notch.”

Port finished 4-5 and in seventh place of the 10 NSC teams. Grafton was 1-17 and tied for ninth.

Cedarburg and Nicolet tied for the title at 7-1-1 each. Nicolet, which scored 107 goals on the season, had four members make the first team, and Cedarburg had three, including Player of the Year Willy Kornetzke.

Cedarbug made it to state, beating three-time defending champion Whitefish Bay in the sectional final and Nicolet before that.