Lopez's Hat Trick Leads Tigers To Title
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Lopez's Hat Trick Leads Tigers To Title
By Anthony [email protected]
In the Sectional 7 championship at Plymouth's Kindt Soccerplex, the Warsaw Tigers (10-8-1) got a hat trick from senior Diego Lopez, leading to a 3-1 win over the Culver Military Academy Eagles (9-8-1).
“Culver Military Academy is a decent side,” Warsaw coach Scott Bauer said. “We just couldn't take care of things in the first 20 minutes of the second half.”
Luckily for Bauer, he had Lopez on his side.
After scoring his first goal in just the fourth minute of the game, Lopez broke a 1-1 tie when he headed in a cross from junior Zack Tucker with 23:34 remaining in the contest.
“He had a wonderful game,” Bauer said about Lopez, who was jokingly named the ‘Man of the Match’ by coaches after the win. “His second goal was one of his most pure. He really sold out for the team.”
Tucker's cross came from just inside the 18, and headed toward the left post.
As it sailed, Lopez dove near the post, getting his head on it, directing it past CMA senior goalkeeper Austin Sheldon.
“That was a huge goal from him,” Bauer said. “You're not going to see too many headers from him. For myself, that's one of the first I've seen.”
Ordinarily, Lopez scores with his nimble moves, so laying out hasn't been necessary.
But when he had to, he did it, even if he was a little shocked by it himself.
“I don't usually score on headers,” he said. “I'm pretty sure I've done it before, but I have no clue when. That goal gave us some more motivation and we fought well after that.”
Already with two goals, Lopez put the game away when he corralled a pass from senior TJ Hofer just inside the box. Once he got a touch to settle it down, he fired it into the lower left end of the net, with 9:52 remaining.
That goal secured Warsaw's fifth-straight sectional title, and 11th overall, sending the Tigers to Mishawaka's Ward Baker Park Athletic Complex for a 5 p.m. regional game with South Bend St. Joseph Thursday.
With a win, the Tigers would advance to Saturday's regional championship against either Penn or No. 12 Elkhart Central.
The trip to regionals will be Lopez's fourth, but this year's has been his first as the go-to guy on the team.
“It's been a different year,” the four-year starter said. “At the beginning of the season, it was a little hard, but I met with the coaches and we worked on it.”
Despite playing in just 15 of the Tigers' 19 games, Lopez's three-goal effort drew him into a tie for the team-lead with senior Nathan Kolbe's 14, but scoring has never been too difficult for him.
And after being able to turn to his brother Corey Lopez, who's currently playing at Indiana Wesleyan, as well as Jose Rodriguez, who's playing at IPFW, during his first three seasons, Diego's happy to have Kolbe and some other teammates with him this season.
“Everybody kind of knows about me,” he said. “I don't want to sound cocky, but people know I can score. A lot of other guys have also been stepping up and have sold out for the team.”
Perhaps making the team bond even more was the news last week of the forfeiture of six wins and a draw, which also took away the team's Northern Lakes Conference championship.
“We kind of felt like we got robbed,” Lopez said.
The clerical error did cost the Tigers one of its goals, but Bauer was mum on letting the guys know how important winning the sectional truly was.
“This was our most important sectional championship,” he said. “There was so much pressure for this one. We lost one of the jewels in the crown with the NLC (being taken away). I didn't let the guys know, but I felt, if they lost this, they'd have nothing to show for the season.”
WARSAW 3, CULVER MILITARY ACADEMY 1
(Sectional 7, C'ship)
W – Diego Lopez (Grant Allbritten) 4th min.
C – Luther Jacobs 13th min.
W – Lopez (Zack Tucker) 57th min.
W – Lopez (TJ Hofer) 71st min.
Shots – Warsaw 20, CMA 6; Shots on Goal – Warsaw 8, CMA 4; Saves – Warsaw (Michael Yantz) 3, CMA (Austin Sheldon) 5; Penalties (Yellow Card) – Warsaw 16, CMA 14 (Alec Abaunza, Manuel Ituart); Offsides – Warsaw 0, CMA 1; Corner Kicks – Warsaw 8, CMA 0
Records: Warsaw 10-8-1, CMA 9-8-1[[In-content Ad]]
In the Sectional 7 championship at Plymouth's Kindt Soccerplex, the Warsaw Tigers (10-8-1) got a hat trick from senior Diego Lopez, leading to a 3-1 win over the Culver Military Academy Eagles (9-8-1).
“Culver Military Academy is a decent side,” Warsaw coach Scott Bauer said. “We just couldn't take care of things in the first 20 minutes of the second half.”
Luckily for Bauer, he had Lopez on his side.
After scoring his first goal in just the fourth minute of the game, Lopez broke a 1-1 tie when he headed in a cross from junior Zack Tucker with 23:34 remaining in the contest.
“He had a wonderful game,” Bauer said about Lopez, who was jokingly named the ‘Man of the Match’ by coaches after the win. “His second goal was one of his most pure. He really sold out for the team.”
Tucker's cross came from just inside the 18, and headed toward the left post.
As it sailed, Lopez dove near the post, getting his head on it, directing it past CMA senior goalkeeper Austin Sheldon.
“That was a huge goal from him,” Bauer said. “You're not going to see too many headers from him. For myself, that's one of the first I've seen.”
Ordinarily, Lopez scores with his nimble moves, so laying out hasn't been necessary.
But when he had to, he did it, even if he was a little shocked by it himself.
“I don't usually score on headers,” he said. “I'm pretty sure I've done it before, but I have no clue when. That goal gave us some more motivation and we fought well after that.”
Already with two goals, Lopez put the game away when he corralled a pass from senior TJ Hofer just inside the box. Once he got a touch to settle it down, he fired it into the lower left end of the net, with 9:52 remaining.
That goal secured Warsaw's fifth-straight sectional title, and 11th overall, sending the Tigers to Mishawaka's Ward Baker Park Athletic Complex for a 5 p.m. regional game with South Bend St. Joseph Thursday.
With a win, the Tigers would advance to Saturday's regional championship against either Penn or No. 12 Elkhart Central.
The trip to regionals will be Lopez's fourth, but this year's has been his first as the go-to guy on the team.
“It's been a different year,” the four-year starter said. “At the beginning of the season, it was a little hard, but I met with the coaches and we worked on it.”
Despite playing in just 15 of the Tigers' 19 games, Lopez's three-goal effort drew him into a tie for the team-lead with senior Nathan Kolbe's 14, but scoring has never been too difficult for him.
And after being able to turn to his brother Corey Lopez, who's currently playing at Indiana Wesleyan, as well as Jose Rodriguez, who's playing at IPFW, during his first three seasons, Diego's happy to have Kolbe and some other teammates with him this season.
“Everybody kind of knows about me,” he said. “I don't want to sound cocky, but people know I can score. A lot of other guys have also been stepping up and have sold out for the team.”
Perhaps making the team bond even more was the news last week of the forfeiture of six wins and a draw, which also took away the team's Northern Lakes Conference championship.
“We kind of felt like we got robbed,” Lopez said.
The clerical error did cost the Tigers one of its goals, but Bauer was mum on letting the guys know how important winning the sectional truly was.
“This was our most important sectional championship,” he said. “There was so much pressure for this one. We lost one of the jewels in the crown with the NLC (being taken away). I didn't let the guys know, but I felt, if they lost this, they'd have nothing to show for the season.”
WARSAW 3, CULVER MILITARY ACADEMY 1
(Sectional 7, C'ship)
W – Diego Lopez (Grant Allbritten) 4th min.
C – Luther Jacobs 13th min.
W – Lopez (Zack Tucker) 57th min.
W – Lopez (TJ Hofer) 71st min.
Shots – Warsaw 20, CMA 6; Shots on Goal – Warsaw 8, CMA 4; Saves – Warsaw (Michael Yantz) 3, CMA (Austin Sheldon) 5; Penalties (Yellow Card) – Warsaw 16, CMA 14 (Alec Abaunza, Manuel Ituart); Offsides – Warsaw 0, CMA 1; Corner Kicks – Warsaw 8, CMA 0
Records: Warsaw 10-8-1, CMA 9-8-1[[In-content Ad]]
Have a news tip? Email [email protected] or Call/Text 360-922-3092