Warsaw Avenges Losses To Elkhart
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
Brent Wildman likes to talk about courage.
When the coach watched his soccer team erase a 1-0 halftime deficit to win 2-1 over Elkhart Central, he saw the courage it took for his team to come from behind.
Before yesterday, Warsaw had never beaten Elkhart.
Two years ago, Elkhart wiped Warsaw's home field up with the Tigers, winning 5-0. The Blue Blazers handed the Tigers a loss, yes.
They also ruined the debut of girls soccer at Warsaw.
Warsaw closed the gap last year, losing 3-1 to the Blue Blazers.
The Tigers finally solved Elkhart on a hot Wednesday afternoon at the CCAC.
"The Elkhart and South Bend teams have great soccer programs," Wildman said. "They play year round. They play great competition. We played Elkhart our first game ever, and I remember it well. They scored in the first 30 seconds. It was kind of a flukish thing.
"(Elkhart) is still technically very sound and probably better technically than we are. But we were sufficient, and we were the aggressors."
Bobbi Wildman and Alyssa Bruner broke through in the second half to give Warsaw the 2-1 win. Their offense, along with game-saving plays by Tanya Koser and Sarah Barber, helped Warsaw improve to 2-0-1.
Neither team appeared it would solve the other in the first half.
The teams played to a scoreless tie with less than six minutes left in the opening half. Warsaw's offense kept Elkhart's defense on its heels, with several shots at the goal that sailed just over the top or wide.
But Elkhart Central scored first as the half came to a close to take a 1-0 lead.
After a lot of noise but nothing to show for it the first half, the Tigers made good on their goal threats in the second half.
Wildman, who had just missed two goal shots in one minute in the first half, tied the game five minutes into the second half.
They stayed tied until Bruner delivered the game-winner on a left-footed shot to the far side of the goal with 19 minutes left.
"We changed our formation the second half to a 4-4-2," Wildman said. "Alyssa was fighting for the ball."
Bruner and Wildman put Warsaw ahead, and Koser and Barber saved the win.
With six minutes left, Elkhart co-captain Carmen Lankford broke away from the pack and barrelled toward the Warsaw goal. The only thing between her and the goal was daylight - and Warsaw's sweeper, Koser. Koser thwarted Lankford's charge to the goal, stepping in and kicking the ball away from her to save Warsaw's lead.
Koser drew howls and catcalls from Elkhart's faithful, who were looking for but denied an interference call from the referees.
Elkhart wasn't finished.
With two minutes left, the Blue Blazers closed in on Warsaw's goal. Barber, Warsaw's goalkeeper, kept the Tigers in front when she went out several feet in front of the goal and dove at the ball for a key save.
Courage, Coach said. Barber, Bruner, Koser and Wildman showed it, along with their teammates.
This win over Elkhart was more than any old win.
This was a win over the team that kicked them only two short years ago.
"Now," Wildman said, "our girls believe in themselves. This was a sweet, sweet victory." [[In-content Ad]]
Brent Wildman likes to talk about courage.
When the coach watched his soccer team erase a 1-0 halftime deficit to win 2-1 over Elkhart Central, he saw the courage it took for his team to come from behind.
Before yesterday, Warsaw had never beaten Elkhart.
Two years ago, Elkhart wiped Warsaw's home field up with the Tigers, winning 5-0. The Blue Blazers handed the Tigers a loss, yes.
They also ruined the debut of girls soccer at Warsaw.
Warsaw closed the gap last year, losing 3-1 to the Blue Blazers.
The Tigers finally solved Elkhart on a hot Wednesday afternoon at the CCAC.
"The Elkhart and South Bend teams have great soccer programs," Wildman said. "They play year round. They play great competition. We played Elkhart our first game ever, and I remember it well. They scored in the first 30 seconds. It was kind of a flukish thing.
"(Elkhart) is still technically very sound and probably better technically than we are. But we were sufficient, and we were the aggressors."
Bobbi Wildman and Alyssa Bruner broke through in the second half to give Warsaw the 2-1 win. Their offense, along with game-saving plays by Tanya Koser and Sarah Barber, helped Warsaw improve to 2-0-1.
Neither team appeared it would solve the other in the first half.
The teams played to a scoreless tie with less than six minutes left in the opening half. Warsaw's offense kept Elkhart's defense on its heels, with several shots at the goal that sailed just over the top or wide.
But Elkhart Central scored first as the half came to a close to take a 1-0 lead.
After a lot of noise but nothing to show for it the first half, the Tigers made good on their goal threats in the second half.
Wildman, who had just missed two goal shots in one minute in the first half, tied the game five minutes into the second half.
They stayed tied until Bruner delivered the game-winner on a left-footed shot to the far side of the goal with 19 minutes left.
"We changed our formation the second half to a 4-4-2," Wildman said. "Alyssa was fighting for the ball."
Bruner and Wildman put Warsaw ahead, and Koser and Barber saved the win.
With six minutes left, Elkhart co-captain Carmen Lankford broke away from the pack and barrelled toward the Warsaw goal. The only thing between her and the goal was daylight - and Warsaw's sweeper, Koser. Koser thwarted Lankford's charge to the goal, stepping in and kicking the ball away from her to save Warsaw's lead.
Koser drew howls and catcalls from Elkhart's faithful, who were looking for but denied an interference call from the referees.
Elkhart wasn't finished.
With two minutes left, the Blue Blazers closed in on Warsaw's goal. Barber, Warsaw's goalkeeper, kept the Tigers in front when she went out several feet in front of the goal and dove at the ball for a key save.
Courage, Coach said. Barber, Bruner, Koser and Wildman showed it, along with their teammates.
This win over Elkhart was more than any old win.
This was a win over the team that kicked them only two short years ago.
"Now," Wildman said, "our girls believe in themselves. This was a sweet, sweet victory." [[In-content Ad]]