Heads up. Teams will be gunning for champs

Muskego — Coach Eric Hess is only too aware of what faces his Muskego boys soccer team this season as the defending WIAA Division 1 state champion.

"After being state runner-up twice, we got people's 'A' games (last season)," Hess said. "Now, as the champion, we will get everyone's 'A-plus' game, no matter what. We will get the strongest game (an opponent) has played all year. Everyone wants to knock off the champion."

In addition, those foes who will give their best efforts rate among the top squads in the state. The Warriors will face Madison Memorial, which they beat, 1-0, in last year's state championship game, as well as Homestead, which handed them their only defeat of 2009 by a 2-0 count.

Their schedule is also littered with traditional powers such as Brookfield East, Madison West, Arrowhead, Brookfield Central and Kettle Moraine, and they will make their first appearance in the Al Gusho Tournament at Brookfield East, one of the state's most prestigious regular-season events.

On top of that, they will play a tough Southeast Conference schedule, featuring a contest at Kenosha Tremper, which sustained its only two losses of last season - including a 1-0 state quarterfinal decision - at the hands of Muskego.

"Tremper not only wants to beat the champs, but get revenge at the same time," Hess said.

The Warriors must face all these challenges after losing nine seniors, including six starters, from last year's 27-1-1 squad.

Hess, though, remains confident.

"Going into 2009, we had lost 13 seniors, including seven starters," he said. "We look at it that everybody loses seniors. We still have a solid starting squad with a lot of experience. Our bench, though, will be untested."

Last year, the Warriors won with defense, posting 19 shutouts in 29 games and allowing just 11 goals all season, none in the three state games. Fortunately for them, their list of returnees is led by two of the key members of that defense, senior defender Zak DeGrave and senior goaltender Brandon Roesch, both second-team all-state selections last season.

Another defensive returnee is junior Graham Ambrose, and he will be helped by two newcomers, seniors Josh Kaiser and Nick Czerwinski.

On offense, Muskego must pick up the slack left by three graduated forwards, but Hess is counting on production from senior midfielder Paul Palmisano, who scored a goal in a 3-0 state semifinal victory over Arrowhead last season, and senior forward Dan Czernicki.

Others are senior Luke Stoll (midfielder), juniors Brian Bullard (defender), Jared Pradarelli (midfielder), Ryan Henderson (goaltender), Jimmy Grunert (midfielder), John Lindhorst (midfielder) and Kyle Kryszak (forward); sophomores Jake Helland (midfielder), Steve Kerns (midfielder) and Josh DeGrave (defender) and freshmen Brody Krausse (forward) and Andrija Novakovich (midfielder).

The Warriors have plenty of championship experience, and not just in high school. In fact, Roesch, Zak DeGrave, Stoll, Palmisano and Czernicki all played for the Croatian Eagles youth clubs that claimed state crowns in both 2009 and 2010.

Muskego will face some big challenges this fall but appears to possess the talent and the experience to overcome them.

WARRIORS' ROAD

Here is the 2010 schedule for defending WIAA Division 1 soccer champion Muskego:

Aug. 20-21: Muskego Cup

Aug. 24: Franklin

Aug. 27-28: Al Gusho Tournament at Brookfield East

Aug. 31: at Kenosha Tremper

Sept. 3: at Madison West

Sept. 9: Racine Park

Sept. 10: Madison Memorial

Sept. 14: at Kenosha Bradford

Sept. 16: at Homestead

Sept. 18: Arrowhead

Sept. 21: Racine Horlick

Sept. 24: Brookfield Central

Sept. 28: Oak Creek

Sept. 30: at Kettle Moraine

Oct. 2: at Warren Township

Oct. 5: at Racine Case

Oct. 7: Wauwatosa East