Warsaw goalie Michael Yantz, who helped the Tigers to a state runner-up finish in 2012, is headed to play in college (Photo by Mike Deak).

WARSAW – Michael Yantz made his one season as a starter in goal for the Warsaw boys soccer team one to remember.

Now, Yantz will take his talents on to the collegiate level.

The WCHS senior standout in between the pipes, who helped lead the Tigers to a Class 2-A state runner-up finish this past fall, is headed to play at Fort Hays State University. The NCAA Division II program, which is located in Fort Hays, Kansas, are also known as the Tigers.

Yantz was a three-year lettermen for coach Scott Bauer’s program, the only one in the state to advance to the Final Four each of the last three years. The Tigers finished their 2012 season with a 1-0 loss to Columbus North in the Class 2-A state title game last October.

Yantz, an athletic 6-3 keeper, posted 14 shutouts during his senior season with 71 saves and just 10 goals allowed. Yantz earned both first-team All-State and All-NLC honors this past fall. He allowed just five goals in seven postseason games as the Tigers won the Plymouth Sectional, Mishawaka Regional and Warsaw Semistate to earn the program’s first-ever appearance in the state championship match.

Yantz, who was a backup in goal his junior year to standout David Johnson, was one of seven senior starters for Warsaw. The Tigers finished the season with a 20-2-2 mark on the field, but were officially 13-9-2 due to seven forfeits due to the use of an ineligible player during the season due to a paperwork mistake.

Yantz, who was also a standout for a Fort Wayne Fever club team that was state champions in 2012 and runner-up in 2011, also excels off the pitch at WCHS. He boasts an impressive 12.0 GPA and is involved in National Honor Society as well as being an academic scholar, scholar athlete and a WCHS delegate to the IHSAA student leadership conference.

Yantz, who is  the son of Rob and Michelle Yantz, plans to study business in college.