Lady Tigers Roll To 3A Sectional Title Match
October 11, 2019 at 4:00 a.m.
Lady Tigers Roll To 3A Sectional Title Match
By Noah Tong-
It took just five minutes for Warsaw to get on the scoresheet.
Gracie Scholl crossed the ball from the right side of the pitch to freshman Rylee Burns where she powered a shot at the keeper. Audrey Grimm, in the right spot for the rebound, tucked the follow-up home.
“I thought we did a great job in the first five minutes keeping possession,” said head coach Jon Hoover. “We won by a big score on Tuesday, but I wasn’t thrilled with how we moved the ball. I think yesterday we worked really hard on refocusing movement patterns.
“Our team did a great job right out of the gate by not letting them touch the ball. Our first five minutes really set the tone for how everyone played.”
But the night was still young, as a flurry of goals continued to rain down on the Archer defense throughout the first half.
Gracie Scholl and Tes Berelsman earned assists as senior striker Abby Steffensmeier finished two clear cut chances to make the score 3-0 in the blink of an eye.
The game was smooth sailing for the Tigers from there.
With eleven minutes left in the first half, midfielder Corissa Koontz blasted a shot into the bottom left corner. Steffensmeier proceeded to add to her prolific scoring record with two more goals to tally.
The conclusion of Thursday’s match put Steffensmeier at 26 goals on the season.
Koontz then scored a final goal before halftime with Warsaw leading Fort Wayne South Side 7-0.
For some of the athletes, Warsaw’s domination in the match gifted valuable postseason playing time to the substitutes.
“It was so much fun to see all the subs come off the bench, step on the field, and we didn’t miss a beat,” said Hoover. “For me, it was so encouraging to see our younger crew playing two-touch and finding the open player.”
“That’s how programs are. You’re seeing the next wave do it right.”
The Tigers ran South Side ragged, and stuck to their possession-oriented philosophy throughout the 80 minutes. Warsaw, rewarded for their hard work, also kept a clean sheet thanks to their resolute defense.
Sophomore forward Valeria Marquez-Martinez bagged a brace of her own in the second half, capping a near-perfect night for Warsaw.
Warsaw now hosts Homestead High School Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the sectional championship.
“We love playing Homestead,” said Hoover. “If we play like we did in the first five minutes, it’s going to be a fantastic game.”
It took just five minutes for Warsaw to get on the scoresheet.
Gracie Scholl crossed the ball from the right side of the pitch to freshman Rylee Burns where she powered a shot at the keeper. Audrey Grimm, in the right spot for the rebound, tucked the follow-up home.
“I thought we did a great job in the first five minutes keeping possession,” said head coach Jon Hoover. “We won by a big score on Tuesday, but I wasn’t thrilled with how we moved the ball. I think yesterday we worked really hard on refocusing movement patterns.
“Our team did a great job right out of the gate by not letting them touch the ball. Our first five minutes really set the tone for how everyone played.”
But the night was still young, as a flurry of goals continued to rain down on the Archer defense throughout the first half.
Gracie Scholl and Tes Berelsman earned assists as senior striker Abby Steffensmeier finished two clear cut chances to make the score 3-0 in the blink of an eye.
The game was smooth sailing for the Tigers from there.
With eleven minutes left in the first half, midfielder Corissa Koontz blasted a shot into the bottom left corner. Steffensmeier proceeded to add to her prolific scoring record with two more goals to tally.
The conclusion of Thursday’s match put Steffensmeier at 26 goals on the season.
Koontz then scored a final goal before halftime with Warsaw leading Fort Wayne South Side 7-0.
For some of the athletes, Warsaw’s domination in the match gifted valuable postseason playing time to the substitutes.
“It was so much fun to see all the subs come off the bench, step on the field, and we didn’t miss a beat,” said Hoover. “For me, it was so encouraging to see our younger crew playing two-touch and finding the open player.”
“That’s how programs are. You’re seeing the next wave do it right.”
The Tigers ran South Side ragged, and stuck to their possession-oriented philosophy throughout the 80 minutes. Warsaw, rewarded for their hard work, also kept a clean sheet thanks to their resolute defense.
Sophomore forward Valeria Marquez-Martinez bagged a brace of her own in the second half, capping a near-perfect night for Warsaw.
Warsaw now hosts Homestead High School Saturday night at 7 p.m. in the sectional championship.
“We love playing Homestead,” said Hoover. “If we play like we did in the first five minutes, it’s going to be a fantastic game.”
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