Warsaw’s Anna Sullivan rips a shot against Manchester Thursday in what became a 10-0 rout in favor of the Lady Tigers. (Photos by Mike Deak)

WARSAW – Warsaw needed just a spark to stoke the fire, one that kept burning the entire 80 minutes. The Lady Tigers had more than enough kaboom to frustrate Manchester, 10-0, in a varsity-only girls soccer match Thursday evening in Tiger Town.

Manchester’s Ellie Milam clears the ball from danger as Anna Reimink converges.

Warsaw needed just five minutes to get on the board in a contest where nearly everyone on the roster got in on the action. Taking a pass from Anna Grill, Elizabeth VanWormer opened the Warsaw season with a flurry after a whistler made it 1-0. VanWormer would net another and assist on a third in what became a tilted field.

In all, 13 Warsaw players took at least one shot on net and the team unloaded 28 shots in all. Warsaw also had seven different players score in the match in a show of cooperative balance in the offensive third.

After Manchester was tagged with an own-goal off a deflected corner kick to make the score 2-0, one minute later Anna Sullivan broke the game open. Stealing a goal kick, Sullivan needed just a couple touches to free herself in the 18 and fired a missile past a helpless keep for a 3-0 lead. Sullivan led the club with five shots on target and assisted on VanWormer’s second goal.

Kennedy Patton came off the bench to score a pair of goals in the second half. Warsaw also had solo tallies from Sydney Weideman, Anna Reimink, Brenna Shipley and Greer Smith.

Anna Reimink was one of seven different goal scorers for Warsaw.

Warsaw head coach Peter Lucht, who pulled most of his starters early in the second half, still enjoyed his team’s continued pressure from the bench.

“Manchester actually came out a little stronger than they were last year,” Lucht said. “Credit to them for that. We had some patience and when you put a few in, then the possession is there, that becomes a long battle mentally. Our girls were able to move the ball well and finish their opportunities.”

Warsaw’s impressive showing on offense was just as stout in the defensive third. Keeper Chloe Snow didn’t need to make a save the entire night as Manchester had nary a shot on target. Manchester, which came into the match after a 5-0 win last night against Mississinewa, didn’t have extended possession of the ball inside the Warsaw penalty area other than one brief buildup that had a through ball trickle harmlessly away from the wing.

Lucht was looking for consistency, and got it, citing the fireworks on the scoreboard were a byproduct of what was given.

“They played a high line, and that’s not something we’re used to seeing with our speed,” Lucht said. “Our overlapping, I love it. It’s great to go around defenses rather than going through it.”

Warsaw, which had its season opener washed out Monday at Fort Wayne Carroll, will return to the pitch Saturday as part of the Fort Wayne Bishop Luers Invite. Warsaw returns home Tuesday to open the Northern Lakes Conference against Plymouth.

Warsaw’s Anna Sullivan (8), Marian Rivera (15) and Brenna Shipley (5) crash the goal on a corner kick, one of nine taken by the Lady Tigers against Manchester.