Soccer Routes Set For State Tourney
By Mike Deak
InkFreeNews
INDIANAPOLIS – A lot of miles will be put on the buses for the local soccer teams after finding out their routes to the IHSAA state tournaments. The sectional draws were laid out Monday night at the IHSAA offices.
Boys Soccer
Penn will be host to the Class 3-A sectional which includes Warsaw. The Tigers got the benefit of the bye, which puts them in the semi-final against Concord. The matchup, set for game two on Wednesday, Oct. 7, is a rematch of the 2019 sectional, which Concord won 3-1 at Northridge.
In the Monday, Oct. 5, matchups, Goshen and Elkhart will open the tournament, followed by host Penn and defending sectional champion Northridge. The Monday winners will play in game one on Wednesday ahead of the Warsaw-Concord tilt.
Both Monday and Wednesday contests are 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. starts. The championship is set for Saturday, Oct. 10, at 7 p.m.
West Noble will be the host of the Class 2-A sectional that contains NorthWood and Wawasee.
The Chargers are defending champions of the sectional, and draw Wawasee, a rematch of the 2019 sectional final. That contest will be game two Monday, following NorthWood and Lakeland in the opener, a 5 p.m. start. The two Monday winners will play at 5 p.m. Wednesday, ahead of the Garrett-Angola contest in game two of the semis.
The championship at West Noble will be at 7 p.m. Saturday night.
Both Tippecanoe Valley and Lakeland Christian will head to Allen County for their sectionals. Valley will take on Fort Wayne Concordia on Oct. 7 in the fourth game of the Fort Wayne Canterbury sectional. Culver Academy and the hosts play in game one, followed by Manchester and Rochester in game two.
At Fort Wayne Blackhawk, LCA and the hosts will play in game two of the four-team grid. Wabash and Lakewood Park face off in game one, both games on Wednesday evening. The winners come back for the title game Saturday night.
Regionals have Goshen hosting for 3-A, which the Penn winner will meet the Highland winner, opposite winners from Crown Point and South Bend Riley. In 2-A, Marian will host the four-team regional, which West Noble and Griffith winners will meet, as will West Lafayette and St. Joe winners. In 1-A, Blackhawk’s winner will go to Heritage Christian and meet the Heritage Christian winner, and Canterbury heads to Oak Hill, meeting the Woodlan champion.
Semi-states are in Kokomo and South Bend St. Joe.
Girls Soccer
Homestead will be the site for the 3-A bracket that includes Warsaw. The hosts, which are the defending champion, and Huntington North play the first game on Tuesday, Oct. 6, with Fort Wayne South Side waiting on that winner on Thursday, Oct. 8. Warsaw and Fort Wayne Wayne will meet in Thursday’s second game, the winners all coming back to southwest Allen County Saturday afternoon, Oct. 10, for a 2 p.m. final.
Wawasee will host the Class 2-A bracket that will see Angola and Lakeland face off in game one and defending champion DeKalb and West Noble in game two, both on Tuesday. Those winners meet Thursday in the first game, followed by NorthWood and Wawasee in the second semi-final, approximately 7 p.m. The championship is set for 2 p.m. Saturday at Warrior Field.
Elkhart Christian will get the contestants for the Class 1-A tournament. Defending champion Bethany Christian will open play against Central Noble, ahead of Lakeland Christian and Westview in game two on Tuesday, the night opening at 5 p.m. Winners come back for game one Thursday, followed by the host Eagles and Lakewood Park in game two. A 2 p.m. kickoff on Saturday is set for the title match.
Regionals have the Homestead winner meeting Noblesville’s winner at Logansport, which will also have winners from Kokomo and East Noble playing. At Plymouth, the Wawasee winner faces the Marian winner, along with winners at Hanover Central and Kankakee Valley. ECA’s winner and Andrean’s winner will square off at LaVille, along with winners from LaVille and Kouts.
Semi-states are in Kokomo and South Bend St. Joe.