Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union LCA senior Avery Hobbs (R) gets a foot on the ball ahead of Wawasee senior Amari Peete's defense Thursday.
Photo by Gary Nieter, Times-Union LCA senior Avery Hobbs (R) gets a foot on the ball ahead of Wawasee senior Amari Peete's defense Thursday.
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WINONA LAKE – Wawasee got goals from Rileigh Atwood and McKenzie Long in its 2-1 non-conference girls soccer win at Lakeland Christian Academy Thursday.

Aori Peete assisted on the Long goal, which proved to be the game winner for the Warriors. It was Wawasee’s first win of the season in seven tries.

“A well-deserved win,” Wawasee head coach Luis Carmargo said. “The girls played with intensity the whole game and we were able to get the win.”

The Warriors were the aggressors from the start, and maintained possession in a physical game. The Cougar defense did enough to keep the chances coming from distance and were adept at scrambling inside the box in the effort to keep Wawasee off the scoreboard. The effort worked, as the game was scoreless at halftime.

After Atwood broke through the LCA defense for the match’s opening goal, Avery Hobbs send a through ball to Jessi Calizo, who muscled her way to the goal and put away the equalizer, setting up the heroics by Wawasee’s Peete and Long.

“I thought we played well tonight,” LCA head coach Nat Raber said. “We didn’t get the result that we wanted but I am seeing the growth that I have been looking for. I was glad to see the team face a physical opponent and not back down.”

Wawasee (1-4-2) will travel to Goshen for a Northern Lakes Conference match Saturday.

Lakeland Christian (3-2) hosts Central Noble at 10 a.m. Saturday.