Soccer results: Sept. 30
Warsaw Girls 2, Northridge 1
It has become an expectation that the annual game between Northridge and Warsaw will have direct implications in crowning an NLC champion, and this year proved no different. With Goshen having already clinched a share of the NLC title, Warsaw needed a win over Northridge to share the championship with the Redhawks.
With many of Goshen’s players in attendance, Warsaw would score early when Kierstin Parker found fellow-senior Corissa Koontz in the middle of the field with room to shoot. Koontz’s goal came just four minutes into the game.
While Warsaw would continue to dominate possession, their second goal would not come until the second half. Just three minutes into the second half, Sam Aalbue would score from distance with an assist credited to Bonnie Hampton.
Northridge would cut the lead in half with ten minutes remaining off a free kick, but Warsaw’s possession took over for the final ten minutes and limited any remaining chances for the Raiders.
The win earns Warsaw a share of the NLC crown with Goshen and the third NLC championship in a row for Hoover’s Lady Tigers.
As the seniors finish the regular season with the last NLC match of their careers, they will be remembered for having one of the most dominant four-year stretches in NLC history. In the past four years, Warsaw’s seniors accomplished a combined NLC record of 25-2-1 and three straight conference championships.
“Games with Northridge are always intense,” said Hoover. “We have a great deal of respect for their coaching staff and the way they play the game. I’m very proud of how our team played tonight. We moved the ball with pace and intentionality throughout. Before the game we talked about attacking and taking the upper hand. I thought our group worked hard and earned the win tonight. I’m very happy that our seniors get to graduate as NLC champs. They’ve worked so hard over the course of their four years to do things the right way. Their character on and off the field has set an amazing example for next generation of Lady Tiger Soccer players!”
The Lady Tigers will have a week off before they play in the sectional semifinal against Fort Wayne Wayne. Warsaw will host the sectional and play Fort Wayne Wayne at 5 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 7.
Warsaw also won the JV contest 2-1. The JV will host the NLC JV tournament Saturday, Oct. 2. Warsaw and Goshen will face off at 9 a.m. on the varsity field.
NorthWood Girls 5, Wawasee 0
On Senior Night at Wellfield Park in Nappanee, the Lady Panthers held serve to blank the Warriors in both teams’ regular season finale.
Junior Caitlin Knepp would open the evening’s scoring just six minutes into the first half with a shot from distance that chipped the right side of the goal frame before ricocheting into the net. Classmate Ari Topping would score the Panthers’ second goal six minutes later on a one-on-one breakaway opportunity.
Unfortunately, injury would befall the home team one minute later when junior Carly Mast was kicked in the face as she was sliding to retrieve a shot. Mast would come off the field and not return to the match. She was replaced by freshman Emily Miller, who was able to maintain another clean sheet for NorthWood, which was the eighth in 14 games for the team this season.
Just before the halftime whistle, Topping would add her second goal off a direct kick following a foul on Knepp at the top of the 18.
Senior Lizzie Hilderbrant would convert a penalty kick in the 59th minute and freshman Haylee Heflin potted a header off a corner kick in the 75th minute to complete the Panther scoring log for the evening.
NorthWood concluded its regular season at 10-3-1, 3-3-1 in conference play. Wawasee heads to sectional play at 1-12-2, 0-7 in the NLC.
Both teams will play in the West Noble sectional with the Warriors taking on DeKalb at 7 p.m. Tuesday and NorthWood, which received a first-round bye, getting a rematch with Lakeland at 7 p.m. Thursday. The Panthers defeated Lakeland 4-1 last week in LaGrange.
Tippecanoe Valley Boys 2, LaVille 0
The Tippecanoe Valley boys wrapped up their regular season tonight, with an impressive performance at LaVille. The Vikings dominated LaVille in time of possession, shots on goal and corner kicks. They won 2-0, behind two first-half goals by Jon Ruiz and Caleb Petgen.
That was all Valley needed. For 80 minutes the Vikings rode their new found tough defense to be clicking turning away any LaVille scoring threat. Dawson Perkins recorded his second clean sheet of the season and the play of defenders Gerardo Hernandez, David Mirietta, Jesus Baca and Gerardo Fernandez was outstanding.
Midfielders Alexis Hernandez, Kynan Cords, Tyler Jones, Carson Craft, Kolton Searcy and Ruiz controlled possession for majority of play, which mostly took place on the Lancers end of the field.
Valley finished the regular season with their best record in school history, 7-8-1. Next up for the Vikings is Argos in round one of sectional play at 6 p.m. Monday, which will be played at Fort Wayne Canterbury.
Plymouth Boys 8, Wawasee 0
The Rockies would knock in four goals in each half in their shutout victory over Wawasee.
Ravaged once again by injury and illness, the Warrior boys worked hard but were faced with a resilient Plymouth team which seemed to win every 50/50 challenge, according to Wawasee coach Jordan Sharp.
“Sylvester Trujillo, Caleb Clevenger, Carson Clevenger, Isaac Hodges, Mason Possell and many others showed great heart and fight tonight,” Sharp added. “It’s always hard competing in the NLC, and its harder when injury plagues your non-deep roster. Yet the boys never quit. They always worked hard no matter the score. We have a great bunch of guys.”
The Warriors end their regular season at 4-11-1, 0-7 in the NLC. They will host sectional action and will open with West Noble at 7:30 p.m. Monday.
Warsaw Boys 4, Northridge 2
The Tigers claimed the NLC championship in Middlebury Thursday night, taking down their hosts 4-2. Neither statistics nor information was provided from the match.
Warsaw completed their regular season with a 12-4-1 mark, 6-0-1 in the NLC. They will face a tough test in the first round of the Goshen sectional, having drawn Elkhart (13-1-1). The game is scheduled for 7:15 p.m. Wednesday, Oct. 6, at Goshen High School.
Bethany Christian Boys 2, NorthWood 1
NorthWood concluded its regular season at Goshen College, taking on the Bruins of Bethany Christian. No information was provided on the game.
The loss dropped the Panthers to 6-8-2 on the regular season, 3-4 in conference action. They will take on Garrett in the first round of the Wawasee sectional at 5:30 p.m. Monday.