NEW RICHMOND — No. 6 seed River Falls saw its run of miracle comebacks end after a 3-0 loss to No. 1 New Richmond in the Sectional semifinals, but there was no shortage of memories made, lessons learned and special moments.

The Wildcats came out putting pressure on the Tigers early to try to stir up an early goal. The game plan sparked some opportunities, yet New Richmond held strong.

“New Richmond is a talented squad,” Head Coach Adam Koger said. “We went in with a little bit more of an aggressive mindset than we have in the past against them hoping to put a little pressure on, and it worked some early in the game.”

Koger said they missed some of the early chances, and with an aggressive playstyle, New Richmond started to crack open the defense on counterattacks.
River Falls’ season was not the dream from start to finish. A nine-match losing streak to open could have soured the mood; however, the seniors would not let that be the story of 2025.

“I’ve been really, really lucky. I know the season didn’t start the way we had hoped, but the way that the seniors held things together until everyone was back on the field really made a big difference for us,” Koger said. “What they will leave is a picture, a process, a roadmap for the freshmen, the sophomores and juniors to follow.”

Everything from how the team interacts off the pitch to in-game decision making can all be passed down from the tremendous class. The focus was on leaving the program in a better place than they found it, and back-to-back Regional titles later, they accomplished just that. Koger said a lot more than talent alone goes into the mighty playoff runs, a lesson they have learned and used to their advantage.

As the offseason looms, more Wildcats are expected to join club teams to continue development.

“A big emphasis on the weight room, and I think we have a handful of guys who, in the past, haven’t played club soccer,” Koger said. “We’re going to make that shift to it this year to try to improve our technical ability.”

Through everything, the memory that will reign supreme is the bus rides returning from the two Regional road trips.

“It will be probably the two bus rides back from Altoona and Wausau East,” Koger said. “Just the pure passion, the joy that the boys show. I think that they probably even surprised themselves a little bit. That memory coupled with the fact that, now, hopefully these guys know that they can overcome tough things in life as well as sports.”