Fort Wayne Northrop’s Will Allison (5) and Warsaw’s Cole Voss mix it up during the 2-2 draw Tuesday night at Warsaw. (Photos by Mike Deak)

WARSAW – With plenty of capable weapons on the front end of its offense, it was two defenders that found the netting for Fort Wayne Northrop in a 2-2 tie at Warsaw Tuesday night.

Will Allison and Viktor Stjepic each scored for the Bruins after Warsaw had taken a 2-0 lead into the 59th minute of the match. Stjepic’s goal came in the 76th minute as Warsaw couldn’t withstand a fourth shot on net in the final 10 minutes of the match.

Warsaw’s Joaquin Juarez uncorks a shot in the first half.

Stjepic’s goal came after Warsaw made a poor clearance of a ball from its own corner back to the middle of the pitch. Running through a gap on the right side, Stjepic touched the ball to space and one-timed a rocket into the net, rallying Northrop back to level.

Allison’s goal came on a set piece from a corner, where indecision by Tiger keeper Tomas Rivera allowed Allison to attack the kick, heading home the goal right corner.

Up to that point, Warsaw had managed to pepper Northrop with plenty of offense, and made a pair of goals create optimism.

In the 12th minute, Tiger midfielder Eric Ocock went short post on a free kick from outside the 18, leaving Nick Craghead without answer as the ball tucked inside the post.

Ocock again was on the ball, this time on transition in the 51st minute, finding a charging Andrew Mevis on the cross for a brilliant header and a two-goal lead.

Warsaw also had two shots whistle off the crossbar, a Joaquin Juarez free kick that was tipped by Craghead off the standard and a ball from Luis Cleto that found the post, and his rebound effort blocked off the line.

Fort Wayne Northrop midfielder Robbie Bakle (40) is shown a yellow card, one of five given in the match.

Northrop also had a shot bang off the crossbar, another ball by Denilson Madrid get cleared off the line after he stole the ball from Rivera, and a third chance in the final two minutes get blocked near the goal that had all the intentions.

“We’ve got the guys, we’ve got the numbers, and we’ve got the skills. We just have to put it all together,” said Warsaw skipper Frank Courtois. “We outplayed them for most of the match, but we let up a little and they put two goals in. We’ve got a lot of young guys – sophomores and freshmen – who are nervous in decision-making. But they’ll come along.”

Warsaw had 15 shots in the game, Craghead making several spectacular close-range saves among his 10 stops. Rivera corralled eight attempts among the 14 shots Northrop was able to take. Warsaw held Northrop to just four chances in the first half, two of those on through balls that Rivera smothered.

Courtois, not happy with giving up the point at home, did spin it in a positive direction.

“This is a good result all things considered,” Courtois said. “We have had two matches and two ties out of it. We just need to finish off the match.”

Warsaw (0-0-2) will visit Plymouth Thursday in the Northern Lakes Conference opener for both clubs and what has and likely will be another highly physical, highly personal match. On a night against Northrop that featured five yellow cards and several verbal warnings, Thursday could be a powder keg.

“Plymouth is always a physical match, and always will be,” Courtois said. “We get up for that matchup with Plymouth, and we’ll come to play. They are always a tough, physical team that wants you to play their game. We just have to play the way we want to play and let the referee do his job.”

The Warsaw JV defeated Northrop 2-0 behind a goal from Jorge Rico and an own goal.

Warsaw’s Eric Ocock sends a free kick goalward, finding net for the first goal of the match against Fort Wayne Northrop Tuesday night.