ELKHART - Two times this year Warsaw's tennis team faced and beat Goshen, in the regular season dual match and in the NLC Tournament.

But when it counted most, Goshen showed it still had Warsaw's number.

Goshen, winners of six regional titles in a row, made it seven on Wednesday. The Redskins knocked off the Tigers 3-2 in the Elkhart Central Regional.

Warsaw coach Andy Lewis had a bad feeling the day before, when his team sleepwalked through a 4-1 first-round regional win over DeKalb. He voiced unhappiness about his team's carefree approach toward DeKalb and wondered if it would come back and haunt his team against Goshen, a team Warsaw was 0-7 against the last four years until this season.

It did.

"When we came out flat yesterday (Tuesday), I knew our guys weren't ready to play," Lewis said. "We didn't quite get that wakeup call we needed.

"We gave this one away."

How?

"We were up 6-3 in the tiebreaker in No. 2 doubles and lost it," Lewis said. "And (No. 3 singles player) Pete Anders wasn't playing well all this week. He was a little flat yesterday and today."

While Lewis thought Warsaw (14-2) turned in one of its worst matches of the season, Goshen assistant coach Doug Gossman said the Redskins (18-1) played one of their best.

"Everybody on our team played well, one through five," he said. "This is the best match we played top to bottom, one through five. The matches we lost, we also played well.

"It helped us coming in as the underdog. Warsaw swept us at the NLC Tournament and beat us head-to-head."

During the regular season, No. 1 singles player Craig Harman and Anders beat their Goshen opponents both times they faced them.

They lost at the regional.

"The keys to the match were Adam Scharf at one singles and Chris Manhart at three singles," Gossman said.

Scharf, who beat Harman in every match they played two years ago at No. 3 singles, came back to beat Harman after going 0-2 against him this year. Scharf dominated Harman early and won 6-1, 7-5.

"I think this was a big match for Adam," Gossman said. "He knew and we knew he could beat Craig."

Anders boasted an 18-0 record entering his match with Manhart. He beat Manhart two ways earlier. He won a 6-7 (5-7), 7-5, 6-4 nailbiter that gave Warsaw a 3-2 win in the regular season dual match. Then he blasted Manhart 6-2, 6-2 in the NLC Tournament championship match.

But at the regional, the undefeated Anders lost to Manhart 6-2, 6-3. Anders went from owning Manhart to losing to him in the match that was the first completed Wednesday evening.

The other match that Goshen won was No. 2 doubles. Matt Shively and David Harms beat Matt Kloser and Matt Krizmanich 7-6 (8-6), 6-4.

Lewis shook up his No. 2 doubles lineup, replacing sophomore Eric Grossnickle with senior Kloser. Grossnickle and Krizmanich played and lost to DeKalb 6-2, 6-4 the night before, so Lewis wanted to jumpstart his doubles.

Grossnickle and Krizmanich had been a team all year, but Lewis' move appeared to be a stroke of genius early when Kloser and Krizmanich went up 6-3 in the tiebreaker. But they collapsed and lost in the opening game, lost any momentum and lost the second game.

"When they lost that, it changed the tide," Lewis said. "Matt (Kloser) played well, made us more competitive.

"I don't regret that decision I made at all."

The only bright spots for Lewis were No. 2 singles player Ryan VanPuffelen and his No. 1 doubles team of Dan Benyousky and Owen Compton.

VanPuffelen, Warsaw's most steady player down the stretch, again proved reliable. He beat Josh Kurtz 6-4, 6-4.

Benyousky and Compton beat Luke Jordan and Phil Bowser 6-4, 7-5.

Lewis expected much more than bright spots. He talked openly about this being his best team in his four years as Warsaw coach. After taking care of Goshen twice this year, he was sure this was the year Warsaw tennis would prove to the world the Tigers could beat the Redskins.

But they couldn't, and they didn't.

"Goshen has been a thorn in my side, and now they will continue to be," Lewis said. "We did not play well at all. I'm very disappointed. We basically gave this away.

"We had an outstanding season. Now you have to take the good with the bad. It's just a shame our kids won't have an opportunity to redeem themselves."

Make no mistake, the Tigers were devastated. Lewis answered questions for five to 10 minutes, then apologized and said, "I have to get the kids out of here."

No more than five minutes later, Lewis whisked his team away in the van, caring to watch as little of the Goshen celebration as possible.

Gossman used to be an assistant with Lewis and knows him well. He knew how much Lewis and the Tigers thought this would be their year.

"I'm happy for Goshen, but I know the Warsaw players," he said. "If we didn't win, I would have been glad to see Warsaw win. That dampens it a little.

"Warsaw will put time in and be a good team next year."

Benyousky and Compton advance in the individual portion of the tournament. They play at 10 a.m. Saturday at Elkhart.

GOSHEN 3, WARSAW 2

Singles

No. 1 - Adam Scharf (G) def. Craig Harman 6-1, 7-5

No. 2 - Ryan VanPuffelen (W) def. Josh Kurtz 6-4, 6-4

No. 3 - Chris Manhart (G) def. Peter Anders 6-2, 6-3

Doubles

No. 1 - Dan Benyousky/Owen Compton (W) def. Luke Jordan/Phil Bowser 6-4, 7-5

No. 2 - Matt Shively/David Harms (G) def. Matt Kloser/Matt Krizmanich 7-6 (8-6), 6-4 [[In-content Ad]]