Chiefs fall to Wisniewski, Alpena Wildcats in home opener, 5-2

Cheboygan senior winger Camille Aper (11) chases down the ball during the first half of Wednesday's non-conference girls soccer home matchup against Alpena.
Cheboygan senior winger Camille Aper (11) chases down the ball during the first half of Wednesday's non-conference girls soccer home matchup against Alpena.

CHEBOYGAN — The effort was there, the intensity was there, and the chances were definitely there.

Unfortunately for the Cheboygan varsity girls soccer team, inconsistent play was also there in a 5-2 loss to Alpena on a windy and cold home opener Wednesday evening.

"A lot of what happened in the first half was hesitation, miscommunication, a weak clearance, those sorts of things that gave Alpena the opportunities," said Cheboygan coach Tom Markham. "We knew they were going to be good, we knew they were going to be tough, and they played us tough last year. We just can't go down by three goals against a school that big, a team that good."

After a positive start to the contest, the Chiefs (3-1) struggled against the solid Wildcats, who received a first-half hat trick from sophomore forward Reese Wisniewski. Wisniewski scored on a penalty kick and then twice more to help Alpena build a 3-0 halftime lead.

After the Wildcats made it 4-0 midway through the second half, the Chiefs sliced the deficit to 4-2 after a penalty kick goal from senior midfielder Elizabeth Markham and a goal off a rebound attempt by senior winger Camille Aper with 11:38 to play. However, the Wildcats sealed the win with a goal just a few minutes later.

"We played great in the first 10 minutes of the first half," Markham said. "I thought we were outstanding, we had opportunities to score. We just gotta get it to fall, and I really think that's going to come, but we've gotta play consistently well for 80 minutes. I felt the second half we showed a lot of grit, we had a lot of chances to score again. Putting two in when we're down by four, I think it shows a lot of grit. I'm proud of them for that, but we've gotta believe in ourselves.

"We've gotta believe in ourselves, and we've gotta quit making mental mistakes."

Cheboygan junior goalkeeper Callie Wanke reaches out to stop an Alpena penalty kick attempt in the first half Wednesday.
Cheboygan junior goalkeeper Callie Wanke reaches out to stop an Alpena penalty kick attempt in the first half Wednesday.

While it was an up-and-down performance from the Chiefs, it was a quality display from the Wildcats, who were strong in all facets.

"This is the first time we've been on a grass field this year, and I thought the girls handled it really well," said Alpena coach Gregg Supiran. "They were able to knock the ball around and that was our game plan. We played ball very well and finished the goals we needed to finish. We probably left a few out there that we should've buried, but we got the job done and we're very pleased with the girls."

Despite the loss, Markham has full confidence his team will rebound in a big way in its next contest.

"I felt we had good effort," Markham said. "It's never been about effort. In this case this early in the season, in my opinion, it's about belief. Belief is a big thing with any squad, and I believe that these kids will hit the rock pile, we'll keep working hard and get better from this. We'll learn and get better."

Cheboygan senior defender Madison Farver (18) gets a handshake from head coach Tom Markham during the first half against Alpena Wednesday.
Cheboygan senior defender Madison Farver (18) gets a handshake from head coach Tom Markham during the first half against Alpena Wednesday.

After three road games to start the campaign, Markham and the Chiefs were happy to be back home despite the chilly weather.

"It felt so good to be at home," Markham said. "Our JV team played tough. I'm really happy with (JV coach) Seth's (Duncan) team. Having the hometown crowd to cheer us on was good. Getting out here in 60-degree weather would be pretty nice."

As for Alpena, it was a confidence-boosting triumph on the road.

"That's part of our team evolution and dealing with spring in Michigan, when you've gotta realize that the team you're facing has to play in the same conditions and you've got to rise above it and play your game," Supiran said.

In the junior varsity contest, Addy Baldwin and Penelope Baltiz both scored goals for Cheboygan, which battled to a 2-2 tie with the Wildcats. Tallying an assist for the Chiefs was Taylor Bent, while goalkeeper Amelia Davis made six stops in net.

The Cheboygan varsity team will be at home again when it hosts Houghton Lake on Saturday at 11 a.m.

This article originally appeared on Cheboygan Daily Tribune: Chiefs fall to Wisniewski, Alpena Wildcats in home opener, 5-2