For the second straight season, the Warsaw boys soccer team’s regional semifinal match would not be determined in regular or extra time, instead needing penalty kicks to decide a winner. This time, the Tigers were able to come out on top, defeating No. 5 Carroll on the road 0-0 (5-4) to live to fight another day.
The pace was frantic throughout the early going of the match, as both sides were able to put together their own stints of possession in the opposing team’s territory. Players were racing up and down the field to keep up with the ball, which was constantly changing ownership as the contest began incredibly evenly matched.
The Tigers very nearly scored the opening goal nine minutes into the match, as a free kick won by the visitors just outside of the box led to a scramble near the goal. A Tiger attacker was able to get a clean look as the ball popped out of the pile and straight to him, but a diving save by the Carroll keeper kept things level.
Following the big opportunity for Warsaw, the next chunk of the game was played primarily in the midfield, with players from both sides doing well to dispossess their opponents to win the ball back. Neither side was able to produce any opportunities on net during this stretch, despite both teams having ample chances to do so with some better ball control.
In the final 15 minutes of the first half, a player for each team received a yellow card for some physical play as the game continued to move on without much action in the final thirds. With eleven minutes to go in the opening 40, the Tigers suffered as big loss as Mydin Burgher was forced to leave the game due to injury. He’d eventually reenter, but was on the sidelines for the rest of the first half.
The Chargers came alive in the final minutes of the first half, constantly pressuring the Tigers in the visitor’s defensive end and turning that sustained pressure into a couple of big chances close to the net. Warsaw keeper Finn Bailey and his defense were able to stifle this late surge however, coming up with some massive stops that kept the game scoreless and tied as the first half came to an end.
A pair of corners in the first five minutes of the second half saw the Tigers get off to a fast start despite the visitors not being able to convert on the chances. Warsaw continued to apply pressure throughout the first 10 minutes of the second, playing their best offensive stretch of the match thus far.

    Senior Ashton Ault of Warsaw (R) fends off Carroll's Cooper Goss during the first half...Nieter

The search for the opening goal continued as time kept ticking away. Weathering the Tiger storm, Carroll responded with an extended spell of possession of their own, turning the tables and forcing the Warsaw defense to get to work.
Midway through the second, the visitors very nearly took the lead, with Burgher launching a counter attack single handedly and making a perfect centering pass that was knocked away by a Charger defender. A corner kick followed, and the header put up by Warsaw just barely missed the mark.
Similar to the first half, this next stretch of play reverted to the midfield, with both teams taking control and looking like they had a solid chance in the making before the opposing defense was able to thwart it at the last second. Less than 10 minutes remained in regular time and extra time was looking more and more imminent by the second.
Despite both teams very nearly coming away with the winning goal in the final minutes of the match, 80 minutes would not be enough to determine a victor. The two sides headed into extra time searching for the match’s first score.
The first seven-minute period in extra time didn’t produce any goals either, with the closest opportunity belonging to Warsaw on a free kick 30 yards from the goal with a minute remaining. The shot was deflected by the Carroll wall.
With fatigue possibly setting in, the chances were few and far between in the second extra time period. Carroll nearly won the match at the buzzer as a deflected free kick just missed the back of the net, but it rolled just wide, meaning penalty kicks were going to determine who would advance to the regional championship.
Each team made their first three kicks before a pair of misses kept things tied going into the fifth and final attempt for each side. As if things weren’t tense enough, both teams picked up makes here to force sudden death. The teams would need just one kick here, as a make by Sam Lara compounded by a Carroll miss sent the Tigers onto the regional final.
Warsaw (14-2-3) will head to Kokomo Saturday afternoon to take on undefeated Lafayette Harrison with a trip to semi-state on the line.