NorthWood Ends Wawasee's Season
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Anthony [email protected]
Taking on the NorthWood Lady Panthers (8-4-4) in the opening-game of the Plymouth Sectional, the Wawasee Lady Warriors fell 3-1, ending their 2011 soccer campaign with a 3-12-2 record.
With the win advanced NorthWood to Thursday's second semifinal game against Culver Girls Academy, which will follow the 5 p.m. matchup between Warsaw and Plymouth.
Rondeau went scoreless in the game, which is only the fifth time that's happened this season, as she scored 23 goals, increasing her school-record total to 88.
"I talked to Mallory a little bit after the game, and I just told her that she's the best player I've coached against since I've been here, and I've been here five years," NorthWood coach Phil Ummel said. "There hasn't been a better player in the (Northern Lakes Conference) during that time. She's a phenomenal talent, and we were fortunate to contain her as much as we did tonight."
For first-year Wawasee coach John Blunk, losing Rondeau is a big loss, but he will also be losing starters Savannah Guimond, Laura Romar, Sarah Rozow, Jessica Wilson and Brett Ayres.
"Mallory, Sarah and the seniors don't want to go out by losing the first game of the sectional," he said. "But, we battled and we battled all year. We're just a team that has to get better, because we're young. The upperclassmen can't carry us the entire time.
"We're basically playing five seniors and a junior, and the rest of them are freshmen and a sophomore," he added.
Wawasee just lost 5-1 to NorthWood Thursday in Wakarusa, but the Lady Warriors fared better this time. A foul inside the penalty box a-minute-and-a-half into the game, however, got things off to a bad start.
Following the foul, NorthWood sophomore Val Ostrowski netted the penalty kick, giving the Lady Panthers a 1-0 lead in the second minute of the contest.
"An early goal is always a nice way to set a tone," Ummel said. "We were fortunate tonight with a call in the box, then Val did a nice job of getting the ball in the goal for us."
In last week's regular season win, Ostrowski scored four goals, so she was a focal point of the Wawasee defense in the sectional.
"Our goal was to try to make sure she didn't score," Blunk said about Ostrowski. "When you try to stop somebody, you give up something else."
What Wawasee gave up next was an unassisted goal to senior Hillary Lechlitner in the 11th minute, which made things look pretty grim for the Lady Warriors.
However, Wawasee junior Lexi Blunk was Johnny on the Spot when a shot from Rondeau was deflected by NorthWood senior goalkeeper Danae Ehret. The deflection went Lexi Blunk's way, and she was able to get it in the net, cutting the lead to 2-1 at the 23:45 mark of the first half.
"They certainly came to play tonight," Ummel said about Wawasee. "It's sectionals. It's that time of year when you're going to get everybody's best showing from every team you play."
The goal was the last of the game until NorthWood sophomore Ariana Eshelman found her way out of a scrum in the 62nd minute to score, increasing the lead to 3-1.
During the majority of the game, the Lady Panthers controlled tempo and possession, but Wawasee did have a chance when Rondeau found a way to outrun the defense in the 59th minute, but her shot came a bit farther out than she would have liked and went right into Ehret's arms.
With the offense spurting, the Wawasee defense gave the offense a chance, until the Eshelman goal.
"We basically had four senior defenders back there," Blunk said. "We stuck our experience back there and hoped they would slow them down."
The defense did slow NorthWood down, just not enough.
"I'm very proud of these girls," Blunk said. "The seniors, they had a nice career. Hopefully, the rest of the team will carry through with what they did."
The girls may be able to carry through what the senior class had done, but it will be tough to duplicate the career Rondeau had at the school
"We will miss Mallory," Blunk said.
NORTHWOOD 3, WAWASEE 1
(Plymouth Sectional, 1st Rd)
N — Val Ostrowski (penalty kick) 2nd min.
N — Hillary Lechlitner 11th min.
W — Lexi Blunk 17th min.
N — Arianna Eshelman 62nd min.
Shots — NW 14, Wawasee 11; Shots on Goal — NW 7, Wawasee 7; Saves — NW (Danae Ehret) 6, Wawasee (Jordan Edington) 4; Fouls — NW 10, Wawasee 4; Offsides — NW 3, Wawasee 0; Corner Kicks — NW 6, Wawasee 2; Records — NW 8-4-4, Wawasee 3-10-2[[In-content Ad]]
Taking on the NorthWood Lady Panthers (8-4-4) in the opening-game of the Plymouth Sectional, the Wawasee Lady Warriors fell 3-1, ending their 2011 soccer campaign with a 3-12-2 record.
With the win advanced NorthWood to Thursday's second semifinal game against Culver Girls Academy, which will follow the 5 p.m. matchup between Warsaw and Plymouth.
Rondeau went scoreless in the game, which is only the fifth time that's happened this season, as she scored 23 goals, increasing her school-record total to 88.
"I talked to Mallory a little bit after the game, and I just told her that she's the best player I've coached against since I've been here, and I've been here five years," NorthWood coach Phil Ummel said. "There hasn't been a better player in the (Northern Lakes Conference) during that time. She's a phenomenal talent, and we were fortunate to contain her as much as we did tonight."
For first-year Wawasee coach John Blunk, losing Rondeau is a big loss, but he will also be losing starters Savannah Guimond, Laura Romar, Sarah Rozow, Jessica Wilson and Brett Ayres.
"Mallory, Sarah and the seniors don't want to go out by losing the first game of the sectional," he said. "But, we battled and we battled all year. We're just a team that has to get better, because we're young. The upperclassmen can't carry us the entire time.
"We're basically playing five seniors and a junior, and the rest of them are freshmen and a sophomore," he added.
Wawasee just lost 5-1 to NorthWood Thursday in Wakarusa, but the Lady Warriors fared better this time. A foul inside the penalty box a-minute-and-a-half into the game, however, got things off to a bad start.
Following the foul, NorthWood sophomore Val Ostrowski netted the penalty kick, giving the Lady Panthers a 1-0 lead in the second minute of the contest.
"An early goal is always a nice way to set a tone," Ummel said. "We were fortunate tonight with a call in the box, then Val did a nice job of getting the ball in the goal for us."
In last week's regular season win, Ostrowski scored four goals, so she was a focal point of the Wawasee defense in the sectional.
"Our goal was to try to make sure she didn't score," Blunk said about Ostrowski. "When you try to stop somebody, you give up something else."
What Wawasee gave up next was an unassisted goal to senior Hillary Lechlitner in the 11th minute, which made things look pretty grim for the Lady Warriors.
However, Wawasee junior Lexi Blunk was Johnny on the Spot when a shot from Rondeau was deflected by NorthWood senior goalkeeper Danae Ehret. The deflection went Lexi Blunk's way, and she was able to get it in the net, cutting the lead to 2-1 at the 23:45 mark of the first half.
"They certainly came to play tonight," Ummel said about Wawasee. "It's sectionals. It's that time of year when you're going to get everybody's best showing from every team you play."
The goal was the last of the game until NorthWood sophomore Ariana Eshelman found her way out of a scrum in the 62nd minute to score, increasing the lead to 3-1.
During the majority of the game, the Lady Panthers controlled tempo and possession, but Wawasee did have a chance when Rondeau found a way to outrun the defense in the 59th minute, but her shot came a bit farther out than she would have liked and went right into Ehret's arms.
With the offense spurting, the Wawasee defense gave the offense a chance, until the Eshelman goal.
"We basically had four senior defenders back there," Blunk said. "We stuck our experience back there and hoped they would slow them down."
The defense did slow NorthWood down, just not enough.
"I'm very proud of these girls," Blunk said. "The seniors, they had a nice career. Hopefully, the rest of the team will carry through with what they did."
The girls may be able to carry through what the senior class had done, but it will be tough to duplicate the career Rondeau had at the school
"We will miss Mallory," Blunk said.
NORTHWOOD 3, WAWASEE 1
(Plymouth Sectional, 1st Rd)
N — Val Ostrowski (penalty kick) 2nd min.
N — Hillary Lechlitner 11th min.
W — Lexi Blunk 17th min.
N — Arianna Eshelman 62nd min.
Shots — NW 14, Wawasee 11; Shots on Goal — NW 7, Wawasee 7; Saves — NW (Danae Ehret) 6, Wawasee (Jordan Edington) 4; Fouls — NW 10, Wawasee 4; Offsides — NW 3, Wawasee 0; Corner Kicks — NW 6, Wawasee 2; Records — NW 8-4-4, Wawasee 3-10-2[[In-content Ad]]
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