Published: Feb. 6, 2014
G’town signs off with historic day
Warhawks’ soccer teams sending 6 to college
By NICHOLAS DETTMANN
Daily News Staff
GERMANTOWN — A special group of soccer players celebrated a
special and potentially rare moment Wednesday night at Germantown High School.
Four girls from the Warhawks girls soccer team — Paige
Blankenheim, Kayla Schlosser, Maddie Tetzke and Amy Flaasch — and one from the
boys soccer team — Paul Ciszewski — signed National Letters of Intent to play
college soccer next fall.
In addition, Nicholas Sucher, a member of Germantown’s boys
soccer team, announced he will attend Wartburg College, a NCAA Division III
school in Iowa, to play soccer.
“It’s great for these six kids to meet their individual
goals of playing at the college level,” Germantown Athletic Director Jack
Klebesadel said.
Ciszewski, the 2013 Daily News Boys Soccer Player of the
Year, signed with Drake University.
“I’m very proud of Paul Ciszewski,” Germantown’s boys coach
Omar Sethi said. “He’s a very cerebral player. He’s got clinical skills. Those
are two things that are often times overlooked.”
Blankenheim signed with Southeastern Missouri State,
Schlosser signed with Indiana State, Tetzke signed with the University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee — all NCAA Division I programs — and Flaasch signed with
Winona State — an NCAA Division II school in Minnesota.
“I was talking to my assistant and it’s like you never get
this when we first came in five years ago,” Germantown girls coach Paul
Sikinger said. “If you get one girl who’s going to play at the next level,
that’s tremendous.”
“This senior class, you knew when they were coming in they
were going to be something special,” Sikinger added. “With the work they’ve put
in the last three years, they’ve earned it.
“It’s very special. I’m proud of them. They worked their
tails off to get where they are today. ... To be a part of this is amazing.”
In a way, it was almost fitting for these players to sign a
college soccer scholarship offer.
Last spring, Blankenheim, Schlosser, Tetzke and Flaasch were
key pieces in leading the Warhawks to the program’s first sectional
championship game since 2008, a game they lost to eventual state champion
Cedarburg.
“I think it’s really cool,” Tetzke said about signing her
NLI with three of her teammates. “Finally all of our hard work has paid off. We
all worked hard and accomplished our dreams.”
And last fall, Ciszewski and Sucher were key in leading the
Warhawks to their first sectional championship game in school history.
Ciszewski and Sucher were each four-year varsity members, with Ciszewski twice
being recognized as All-State.
“It couldn’t have been done without guys like these two,”
Sethi said about the team’s advancement last season to the sectional final.
“Nick had a great season, developed a lot and really matured. Super proud of
both them.”
As for the girls, they can’t wait to get onto the field once
the snow eventually clears. They have high hopes for this season after a
second-place finish in the North Shore Conference and an appearance in the
sectional final.
The Warhawks went 13-3-2 last season.
“We were so excited to make it that far,” Tetzke said.
“We’re hoping to do well again this year, hopefully make it even further.”
“I think it’s cool we get to go onto the next level and
keeping playing, doing what we love,” she added.
And for the boys, Sethi got a small dose of reality as he
watched two of his best players commit to college soccer, knowing they’re not
going to be back next season.
“That has definitely crossed my mind,” he said with a smile.
“You just take it all in stride.”
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