Hosting Culver Academies at the Tiger Soccer Complex Tuesday evening, the Warsaw girls soccer team looked to make it three wins in four games in front of their home crowd. Thanks to a first half hat trick by junior Lola Pepper, Warsaw was able to do just that, hanging on to a 3-2 win.
It didn’t take long for Pepper to put her team on the board. After a long spell of possession that saw Warsaw dominate the game’s opening minutes. The junior was finally able to find the back of the net after her first few chances went by the wayside. After a nice run got her into position for a shot, the midfielder wasted no time converting, launching a shot into the upper left corner of the goal to give the Lady Tigers a lead four minutes into the contest.
The second goal came even quicker than the first. Just 20 seconds after the initial score, another shot by Pepper hit the post of the goal and went out of bounds. It looked as if a goal kick would follow, but a foul was called in the box, resulting in a penalty kick for Pepper. Just 30 seconds after finding the top left corner, She’d bury a shot in the bottom right corner to double the lead at 2-0 not even five minutes into the match.
Already holding a two-goal edge and possessing all of the momentum, the Lady Tigers continued to dominate the pitch. The home side continued to hold onto the ball on the Culver side of the field, coming close to adding onto their lead multiple times. However, the Lady Eagle defense was able to do just enough each time to keep things tight.
Seventeen minutes into the first half, Warsaw goalie Ellie Schenck was forced to make her first, and only, save of the first half, and it was an impressive one at that. Having to field a long, looping shot from well outside the box, the senior keeper timed her jump perfectly to leap up and punch it out of harm’s way before it could find its way into the back of the net. Schenck wouldn’t be forced to do much else in the first half, but she earned her keep with that save alone.

    Sophomore Haidyn Elliott (R) of Warsaw controls the ball as CMA's Avery Loehr defends during Tuesday night's match...Nieter

The shot on goal led to a period of the game that saw the visitors playing much sharper. Culver was able to possess the ball for much longer spells, keeping pressure on the Warsaw back line with constant movement forward. But the Lady Tiger defenders held strong, keeping the ball in front of them and thwarting any and all attempts by the Lady Eagles to inch closer.
With a little less than 15 minutes to go in the first 40 minutes of play, Amy Escutia-Palacios made her entrance to the pitch, and what an entrance it was. The sophomore beat a plethora of defenders on her run to the goal, just narrowly missing a fantastic score as her shot ended up just wide.
Warsaw fans didn’t have to wait much longer to get that third goal though, as a minute later, Pepper launched a shot from just inside the box. The rocket off of her right foot made it past the keeper for her third goal of the half, making it a 3-0 game at the half.
It didn’t stay that way for long. Just two minutes into the second half, Culver was awarded a free kick not far outside the box. It resulted in a fantastic goal scored by Ella Raub, who launched a perfect shot into the top left corner to make it a 3-1 game.
This goal energized the visitors, as the Lady Eagles began to control the game at the level Warsaw did in the first half. With all of the momentum on their side, Culver began to pepper Abigayl Hill, who had come in at goalie, with shots.
It would yield results. 15 minutes into the second half, the Lady Eagles were able to turn a great spell of possession into a goal. After making a ton of perfect passes to scatter the Warsaw defense around, striker Noa Shafeek-Horton had enough space for a shot in the middle of the box, and she made the most of her opportunity. Her slow-rolling shot found the back of the net and made it a one-goal game.
That certainly tightened things up, but a good chunk of clock was able to be chewed away by the Warsaw defense, as the Lady Tigers were now working immensely hard with just a one-goal lead to protect. Soon, there were less than 10 minutes remaining and the home side was still in front.
The last 10 minutes felt like they lasted forever, as Culver’s final push was a big one. The visitors had multiple big chances in the final portion of the game, including another free kick by Raub that almost tied things up. In the end, the Lady Tigers were able to hang on and secure the victory.
Warsaw (6-4-1) is at Penn Thursday night.