Goshen Tennis Team Gets Warsaw Again
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
This is how important Wednesday's tennis match between Goshen and Warsaw was.
Important enough to decide who pulls ahead in the Northern Lakes Conference entering this weekend's NLC Tournament. Goshen entered 13-0 overall and 5-0 in the NLC, while Warsaw was 9-2 and 5-0 in the NLC.
Important enough that Warsaw coach Andy Lewis got to be at the match. Wednesday was also the day for the open house for Lake City Bank's trust department, which recently moved into the old Kline's building. Lake City Bank is also Lewis' employer.
Goshen entered having won eight of the last 10 times against Warsaw. The Redskins made it nine of 11, winning 3-2.
"It's always a big match against Goshen," Lewis said. "If anyone has any doubts where I was, go look at my office. It has two huge rackets and a ball from the U.S. Open."
Last year Warsaw beat Goshen in the regular season dual match and at the NLC Tournament. But the Tigers lost when it counted, at the regional, which Goshen won for the seventh year in a row.
Lewis found out how tough it was to beat the same team three times in a season. Yes, he wanted Warsaw to win Wednesday's match. But no, he and his team weren't devastated like they were after last year's 3-2 regional loss.
"If you get in the tournament and lose once, you're out," Lewis said. "Now there's always tomorrow. We'll be ready for (Goshen) this weekend at the NLC Tournament.#
"We beat Goshen twice last year during the season then lost in the tournament. Maybe in a way this loss is good for us."
Both coaches knew which team won and which team lost would come down to two key matches. "Number two singles and No. 1 doubles," Lewis said. "Number two singles and No. 1 doubles," Goshen coach Paul Algate said.
Goshen won both of those matches.
Goshen's Michael Weaver beat Dan Benyousky 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 2 singles match. Goshen's David Harms and Matt Shively beat Owen Compton and Eric Grossnickle 7-5, 6-2.
Only four days earlier Benyousky beat Weaver at the Homestead Invitational. Compton and Grossnickle led Harms and Shively late in the first set but couldn't hold on.
"Our No. 1 doubles team got up 5-3 then lost the first set," Lewis said. "Our No. 1 doubles team had its chances. Goshen's No. 2 singles player played well."
Goshen's other win came from No. 3 singles player Josh Kurtz, who beat Pete Hake 6-3, 6-2.
Warsaw's wins came from No. 1 singles player Ryan VanPuffelen, who defeated Chris Manhart 6-2, 6-4. And when Warsaw's No. 2 doubles team of Matt Krizmanich and David Honneffer came back after losing 6-4 in the first set to beat Chris Copenhauer and Bradd Weddell in three sets, Lewis said, "At least we saved face."
VanPuffelen's backhand was on, leading one person in the stands to say, "He has the most wicked backhand for a high school player I have ever seen."
"The thing about Ryan is, if you watch his matches, whenever he needs a point, he gets it," Lewis said. "It doesn't matter if the opponent tries to scream one down the line or drop one over the net. If Ryan needs a point, he gets it. The difference between winning and losing players is winning players can get big points with big shots.
"I'm really happy with our No. 2 doubles team. Against Concord they played absolutely not up to their potential. We practiced yesterday, and I thought things were better. Then they come out today and revert to the way they played against Concord Monday night. But if you saw the third set, they just dominated."
Winning nine of the last 11, Goshen has dominated Warsaw. Algate was asked if his players believe they have Warsaw's number.
"It's not just a Warsaw/Goshen thing," Algate said. "Our guys do a good job focusing. I think we're a strong team mentally. It's not just against Warsaw. Once we get in the postseason, we believe we're going to beat a lot of good teams."
GOSHEN 3, WARSAW 2
Singles
No. 1 - Ryan VanPuffelen (W) def. Chris Manhart 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 -ÊMichael Weaver (G) def. Dan Benyousky 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 -ÊJosh Kurtz (G) def. Pete Hake 6-3, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 - David Harms/Matt Shively (G) def. Owen Compton/Eric Grossnickle 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 -ÊMatt Krizmanich/David Honneffer (W) def. Chris Copenhauer/Bradd Weddell 4-6, 7-6, 6-0
Records: Goshen 14-0, 6-0 NLC; Warsaw 9-3, 5-1 NLC
JV
Singles
No. 1 -ÊSteve Slaughter (W) def. Claudius Von Stolzmann 8-0
No. 2 -ÊStas Koltsov (G) def. Eric Keller 8-6
No. 3 -ÊRob Tidmore (W) def. Von Stolzmann 8-5
Doubles
No doubles matches were played [[In-content Ad]]
This is how important Wednesday's tennis match between Goshen and Warsaw was.
Important enough to decide who pulls ahead in the Northern Lakes Conference entering this weekend's NLC Tournament. Goshen entered 13-0 overall and 5-0 in the NLC, while Warsaw was 9-2 and 5-0 in the NLC.
Important enough that Warsaw coach Andy Lewis got to be at the match. Wednesday was also the day for the open house for Lake City Bank's trust department, which recently moved into the old Kline's building. Lake City Bank is also Lewis' employer.
Goshen entered having won eight of the last 10 times against Warsaw. The Redskins made it nine of 11, winning 3-2.
"It's always a big match against Goshen," Lewis said. "If anyone has any doubts where I was, go look at my office. It has two huge rackets and a ball from the U.S. Open."
Last year Warsaw beat Goshen in the regular season dual match and at the NLC Tournament. But the Tigers lost when it counted, at the regional, which Goshen won for the seventh year in a row.
Lewis found out how tough it was to beat the same team three times in a season. Yes, he wanted Warsaw to win Wednesday's match. But no, he and his team weren't devastated like they were after last year's 3-2 regional loss.
"If you get in the tournament and lose once, you're out," Lewis said. "Now there's always tomorrow. We'll be ready for (Goshen) this weekend at the NLC Tournament.#
"We beat Goshen twice last year during the season then lost in the tournament. Maybe in a way this loss is good for us."
Both coaches knew which team won and which team lost would come down to two key matches. "Number two singles and No. 1 doubles," Lewis said. "Number two singles and No. 1 doubles," Goshen coach Paul Algate said.
Goshen won both of those matches.
Goshen's Michael Weaver beat Dan Benyousky 6-3, 6-2 in the No. 2 singles match. Goshen's David Harms and Matt Shively beat Owen Compton and Eric Grossnickle 7-5, 6-2.
Only four days earlier Benyousky beat Weaver at the Homestead Invitational. Compton and Grossnickle led Harms and Shively late in the first set but couldn't hold on.
"Our No. 1 doubles team got up 5-3 then lost the first set," Lewis said. "Our No. 1 doubles team had its chances. Goshen's No. 2 singles player played well."
Goshen's other win came from No. 3 singles player Josh Kurtz, who beat Pete Hake 6-3, 6-2.
Warsaw's wins came from No. 1 singles player Ryan VanPuffelen, who defeated Chris Manhart 6-2, 6-4. And when Warsaw's No. 2 doubles team of Matt Krizmanich and David Honneffer came back after losing 6-4 in the first set to beat Chris Copenhauer and Bradd Weddell in three sets, Lewis said, "At least we saved face."
VanPuffelen's backhand was on, leading one person in the stands to say, "He has the most wicked backhand for a high school player I have ever seen."
"The thing about Ryan is, if you watch his matches, whenever he needs a point, he gets it," Lewis said. "It doesn't matter if the opponent tries to scream one down the line or drop one over the net. If Ryan needs a point, he gets it. The difference between winning and losing players is winning players can get big points with big shots.
"I'm really happy with our No. 2 doubles team. Against Concord they played absolutely not up to their potential. We practiced yesterday, and I thought things were better. Then they come out today and revert to the way they played against Concord Monday night. But if you saw the third set, they just dominated."
Winning nine of the last 11, Goshen has dominated Warsaw. Algate was asked if his players believe they have Warsaw's number.
"It's not just a Warsaw/Goshen thing," Algate said. "Our guys do a good job focusing. I think we're a strong team mentally. It's not just against Warsaw. Once we get in the postseason, we believe we're going to beat a lot of good teams."
GOSHEN 3, WARSAW 2
Singles
No. 1 - Ryan VanPuffelen (W) def. Chris Manhart 6-2, 6-4
No. 2 -ÊMichael Weaver (G) def. Dan Benyousky 6-3, 6-2
No. 3 -ÊJosh Kurtz (G) def. Pete Hake 6-3, 6-2
Doubles
No. 1 - David Harms/Matt Shively (G) def. Owen Compton/Eric Grossnickle 7-5, 6-2
No. 2 -ÊMatt Krizmanich/David Honneffer (W) def. Chris Copenhauer/Bradd Weddell 4-6, 7-6, 6-0
Records: Goshen 14-0, 6-0 NLC; Warsaw 9-3, 5-1 NLC
JV
Singles
No. 1 -ÊSteve Slaughter (W) def. Claudius Von Stolzmann 8-0
No. 2 -ÊStas Koltsov (G) def. Eric Keller 8-6
No. 3 -ÊRob Tidmore (W) def. Von Stolzmann 8-5
Doubles
No doubles matches were played [[In-content Ad]]