Munster gets better of rival Highland

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MUNSTER -- Highland's Joe Stiglitz is no different than any other senior who had just experienced his high school soccer career come to an end.

You know the symptoms: sadness, frustration, maybe even a tear or two.

But what made it even tougher for Stiglitz was that his senior campaign ended the same way his previous three seasons did:  washed away in a sea of red.

"It's tough. It's a big rivalry and sometimes it seems, I don't know, they get the luck," he said. "I feel pretty bad. Four years, four sectional losses to them. But life goes on."

The Trojans' season was not so fortunate.

Derek Carlson had a goal and an assist as Munster won its seventh straight sectional, 2-0 over Highland. It was the second time the Mustangs have beaten the Trojans this season and the third straight year the Mustangs have ended the Highland season in the sectional finals.

The win punches the Mustangs' ticket to Wednesday's Merrillville Regional. It also gives Carlson more bragging rights at the next family reunion.

"Highland is always a big game and a big rivalry," Carlson said. "I have a cousin on that team (sweeper Brian Konyar) so every time we play them I want to win."

Carlson's goal at 29:49 of the first half turned out to be the game winner. A perfect give-and-go-pass from Krste Ruiz led to Carlson firing a 25-yard laser shot past goalie Mike Anderson from in front of the net.

"I just chipped it to (Ruiz) and he gave me a pass back and I just volleyed it just trying to get it on goal," Carlson said. "Luckily it hit the right spot on the shoe and it went in."

Carlson turned from receiver to giver on the final goal of the game, hitting Anthony Huard in stride down the left side before he drilled a 20-footer at 9:45 of the second half to seal the win.

"Highland's a good team, they always have been, it's always been a hard fight playing them," said Ruiz. "The regionals are going to be even tougher so we have to focus more and we have to play better."

The Trojans were playing better before Saturday, winners of four straight coming into the final. They had two big chances to make it five in a row, one coming at the 22 minute mark of the first half when Callum Walker fired a shot from left of the net that barely missed, and at the 14:30 mark of the second half when Stiglitz headed a shot on net that missed the target by inches.

Add the advantage Munster had in manpower (the Mustangs are an extremely deep team while Highland, according to coach Mirko Maric, was shorthanded because of injuries) and it all adds up to an eighth trip to the regionals for the Mustangs while the Trojans suffered the same fate as another well-known team that wears blue and seems to find difficulty in the month of October.

"I asked a lot of these kids and they gave it their all," Maric said. "I told them to leave everything on the field and I think they did. You have to play the cards that you're dealt, that's it. What are you going to do? There's always next year, so I guess we'll be like the Cubs."