Bulldogs not thinking about perfection

Updated: Wednesday, 11 Jan 2012, 7:15 PM CST
Published : Wednesday, 11 Jan 2012, 7:03 PM CST

DENMARK - Going undefeated.

It’s a goal of every sports team when its season starts. No team’s goal is to lose, right?

While the goal is there for every team, few teams ever experience the accomplishment of perfection. However, the New London girls basketball team could be one of those rare teams that turns the trick.

The Bulldogs are 9-0 this season, after escaping with a 43-41 road win against Denmark on Tuesday night. And after its road game Friday at West De Pere, the Bulldogs close the regular season with eight of 12 games at home.

The reigning Division 2 state champs have won 23 straight games and seem poised to challenge a 22-0 regular season. In order for this to happen, a team must stay healthy, get lucky and have a roster full of solid to great players. So far, New London has all that.

The lucky part struck Tuesday when the Bulldogs found themselves down 41-34 in the fourth quarter. Denmark was connecting from long distance (11-of-21 from 3-point range during the game) and the Bulldogs’ offense couldn’t get going as star player Tara Knapstein was struggling.

Notwithstanding, New London showed its championship resolve by scoring the game’s final nine points, with Knapstein providing two late baskets and the game-winning assist to Bridget Pethke on a 3-pointer.

When asked if she’s thinking about a perfect season, Knapstein hesitated before saying, “Kind of, but I think we know we have a target on our back, obviously. We know that anyone can come in and knock us off. We’re just trying to play the best we can.”

New London is among 20 girls basketball teams in the state which remain perfect on the season, but that number will slowly dwindle. New London coach Troy Krause isn’t thinking about a perfect season, maybe because last year’s team won the state title without even winning the Bay Conference.

“I’m not concerned about going undefeated,” Krause said. “We’re just trying to get better. There are a few things we have to fix up a bit. If it happens, it happens.”

New London’s first goal is to win the Bay and Krause thinks that’s a way to keep the players’ minds off a perfect season.

“I think that helps us as a team to not look too far ahead,” Krause said. “I would like to win the conference.”

Tuesday night, New London found out that won’t even be easy. While most expect the Bulldogs to win the league title, the fact it won the state title last season and is one of the favorites to win state this season mean’s every opponent is extra juiced when it plays New London.

“You are going to get tested and other teams want to come and beat us,” Krause said. “Once we walked into the school (Tuesday), so many people were talking about how big of a game it was for Denmark, and rightfully so.”

So far New London has that perfect look, but with 13 regular-season games remaining a lot can happen. A perfect regular season, at least, will start coming into focus in a couple weeks, but for now New London is just trying to learn from each game.

“It was a good test to see where we’re at,” Knapstein said of Tuesdays’ win. "We haven’t had a lot of challenging games.”

• Other area undefeated teams: Bay Port (9-0), Brillion (9-0) and Coleman (9-0).

doug.ritchay@wluk.com