Long Night Worth It For Tigers
Warsaw keeper makes clutch save as team wins regional thriller on PKs
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Dale [email protected]
Playing the South Bend St. Joe Indians in a regional semifinal at Mishawaka’s Ward-Baker Park, the Class 2A No. 9 Tigers made it worth it, as they survived 80 minutes of regulation, 14 minutes of overtime and won a thriller on penalty kicks.
The final score went down as 2-1 in Warsaw’s favor, thanks in large part to a save by junior keeper Peyton Long that helped the Tigers to a 5-4 victory in the PK shootout.
“We’ve been practicing PKs everyday after practice,” said Long, who stonewalled senior Josh Kachmarik on St. Joe’s second of five PK attempts. “I just stayed confident. I knew I had to make one stop.”
Long made the save Warsaw needed, and the Tigers converted all five of their attempts on the feet of juniors Tito Cuellar, Sam Allbritten and Manuel Rodriguez and seniors Miguel Rivera and Stephen Kolbe.
“We work hard on PKs,” said veteran Warsaw coach Scott Bauer. “We’ve been bad PK kickers this year and it’s cost us some wins. We grade the guys on PKs, and those five are my highest-percentage shooters...that’s why they took them. When Peyton made that stop, I felt like we had a high probablity of winning with our experience.”
Both Bauer and Long credited assistant coach Adam Churchill for working with Long.
Churchill, a 2005 graduate, was a three-year starter in goal for Bauer and the Tigers.
Long has also had standout keepers David Johnson and Michael Yantz to learn from.
“Peyton was a great understudy to Michael Yantz,” said Bauer. “And my goalie coach, Adam Churchill, does a great job for us. He was one of my best keepers. He’s very technical. He knows his stuff.”
With the win, Warsaw improved to 13-2-5 overall and advanced to Saturday’s 7 p.m. regional final against the Northridge Raiders, while St. Joe’s season ended with a 12-6 record.
Northridge, which is 9-0-1 in its last 10 matches and 14-3-3 overall, won Thursday’s first semifinal 3-1 over the Penn Kingsmen.
In the final Northern Lakes Conference match of the season, Warsaw fell 1-0 to the Raiders in Middlebury.
“I hope we’re ready to play Northridge,” said Bauer. “We can’t relax, we have to keep driving forward. Northridge is very well-coached. They only have about five seniors, but they have great leadership.”
Warsaw has great leadership as well, and a wealth of tournament experience.
The Tigers are in search of their sixth-straight regional title and fourth-consecutive trip to at least the semistate final.
It’s a streak that has been in question in two of Warsaw’s three tournament matches this season.
In the sectional opener against Culver Military Academy, Warsaw fell behind 3-0 before scoring four goals in the final 21 minutes.
In Thursday’s clash with St. Joe, Kachmarik put the Indians up 1-0 in the 47th minute on an assist from senior Tommy Clark.
The Tigers, though, responded with a goal six minutes later when Cuellar scored on a rebound of a shot by teammate Zack Tucker that St. Joe keeper Dominic Bessignano didn’t properly secure.
“I don’t know about that,” Bauer said when asked if he felt like his club was a team of destiny, the way it has rallied when put in a tough spot. “But I know we play with a lot of heart. My guys aren’t going to give up.”
WARSAW 2, ST. JOE 1
Note – Warsaw won PK shootout 5-4
SJ – Josh Kachmarik (Tommy Clark assist) 47th min
W – Tito Cuellar 53rd min
Records: Warsaw 13-2-5, St. Joe 12-6
Other semifinal: Northridge 3, Penn 1
Records: Northridge 14-3-3, Penn 11-5-4
Championship: Warsaw vs. Northridge, Saturday, 7 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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Playing the South Bend St. Joe Indians in a regional semifinal at Mishawaka’s Ward-Baker Park, the Class 2A No. 9 Tigers made it worth it, as they survived 80 minutes of regulation, 14 minutes of overtime and won a thriller on penalty kicks.
The final score went down as 2-1 in Warsaw’s favor, thanks in large part to a save by junior keeper Peyton Long that helped the Tigers to a 5-4 victory in the PK shootout.
“We’ve been practicing PKs everyday after practice,” said Long, who stonewalled senior Josh Kachmarik on St. Joe’s second of five PK attempts. “I just stayed confident. I knew I had to make one stop.”
Long made the save Warsaw needed, and the Tigers converted all five of their attempts on the feet of juniors Tito Cuellar, Sam Allbritten and Manuel Rodriguez and seniors Miguel Rivera and Stephen Kolbe.
“We work hard on PKs,” said veteran Warsaw coach Scott Bauer. “We’ve been bad PK kickers this year and it’s cost us some wins. We grade the guys on PKs, and those five are my highest-percentage shooters...that’s why they took them. When Peyton made that stop, I felt like we had a high probablity of winning with our experience.”
Both Bauer and Long credited assistant coach Adam Churchill for working with Long.
Churchill, a 2005 graduate, was a three-year starter in goal for Bauer and the Tigers.
Long has also had standout keepers David Johnson and Michael Yantz to learn from.
“Peyton was a great understudy to Michael Yantz,” said Bauer. “And my goalie coach, Adam Churchill, does a great job for us. He was one of my best keepers. He’s very technical. He knows his stuff.”
With the win, Warsaw improved to 13-2-5 overall and advanced to Saturday’s 7 p.m. regional final against the Northridge Raiders, while St. Joe’s season ended with a 12-6 record.
Northridge, which is 9-0-1 in its last 10 matches and 14-3-3 overall, won Thursday’s first semifinal 3-1 over the Penn Kingsmen.
In the final Northern Lakes Conference match of the season, Warsaw fell 1-0 to the Raiders in Middlebury.
“I hope we’re ready to play Northridge,” said Bauer. “We can’t relax, we have to keep driving forward. Northridge is very well-coached. They only have about five seniors, but they have great leadership.”
Warsaw has great leadership as well, and a wealth of tournament experience.
The Tigers are in search of their sixth-straight regional title and fourth-consecutive trip to at least the semistate final.
It’s a streak that has been in question in two of Warsaw’s three tournament matches this season.
In the sectional opener against Culver Military Academy, Warsaw fell behind 3-0 before scoring four goals in the final 21 minutes.
In Thursday’s clash with St. Joe, Kachmarik put the Indians up 1-0 in the 47th minute on an assist from senior Tommy Clark.
The Tigers, though, responded with a goal six minutes later when Cuellar scored on a rebound of a shot by teammate Zack Tucker that St. Joe keeper Dominic Bessignano didn’t properly secure.
“I don’t know about that,” Bauer said when asked if he felt like his club was a team of destiny, the way it has rallied when put in a tough spot. “But I know we play with a lot of heart. My guys aren’t going to give up.”
WARSAW 2, ST. JOE 1
Note – Warsaw won PK shootout 5-4
SJ – Josh Kachmarik (Tommy Clark assist) 47th min
W – Tito Cuellar 53rd min
Records: Warsaw 13-2-5, St. Joe 12-6
Other semifinal: Northridge 3, Penn 1
Records: Northridge 14-3-3, Penn 11-5-4
Championship: Warsaw vs. Northridge, Saturday, 7 p.m.[[In-content Ad]]
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