PLYMOUTH – Some losses stay in the memories of players a lot longer than others. The Warsaw Lady Tiger soccer team suffered one Saturday in the championship game of the Plymouth Sectional that the players may never forget. Warsaw led 1-0 early, 3-1 at halftime and 4-3 with less than nine minutes remaining. Culver Academies came back each time, kept the tie through two overtimes, and eventually took the sectional title on the sixth penalty kick, 5-4 over the Tigers. The Lady Eagles (9-2-2) advanced to the Goshen Regional, where they will take on Penn, the winner of the sectional it hosted after beating South Bend Adams 4-0 Saturday. Warsaw finished its season 14-2-1. The shootout started off well for Warsaw, with the first four shooters converting and the Eagles missing their first attempt. Warsaw had a chance to clinch on the fifth kick, but pushed it wide right. Culver tied it on its fifth kick, and clinched on its sixth. In the aftermath of the heartbreaker, Warsaw head coach Peter Lucht was left to help his squad handle the emotions that come with a heartbreaking loss. “One game certainly doesn’t define the season. I told the girls this was a special season, and they were a special team. They still are a special team. They’ve done a phenomenal job throughout,” he said. “You put your heart out there, you do your best and sometimes it doesn’t go your way. Today there were some things that every single person would have loved to have done differently. But, I know each and every one of them tried to their fullest extent; so there’s zero doubt about that. They played with their hearts, and they certainly wanted their season to continue, and obviously every single team that goes out (of the tournament), whether it’s the first game or the state championship game if they come in second place, they’re still going to feel that burn. They’re feeling it right now, we as coaches are feeling it, but it’s a privilege to coach them.” Warsaw got the first goal early, with Anna Grill scoring on a corner kick from Alexandra Koontz in the match’s second minute. That seemed to awaken the Eagles, who picked up the intensity from that moment forward. Culver Academies’ Kennedy Kubica tied the game three minutes later, floating a free kick over the head of Warsaw goalkeeper Chloe Snow. Lucht said the game wasn’t the most competitive match his team had played to date. “The Northridge game for the (Northern Lakes Conference) title was more intense. No discredit to Culver; they’re a very good team, obviously. There’s a reason why they have the record they’ve got. At the end of the day they were able to capitalize on their opportunities and they were able to finish in the shootout at the end. Warsaw’s Elizabeth Van Wormer scored twice in the first half; the first off a penalty kick and the second goal on an assist from Sydney Weideman. After the Eagles tied it in the second half, Rachel McClelland scored in the 50th minute of the game. For a while, it looked as if that might be the game winner, but Culver had other ideas.
CULVER ACADEMIES 5, WARSAW 4 (First Half) War – Anna Grill (Alexandra Koontz) 2nd min CA – Kennedy Kubica (unassisted) 5th min War – Elizabeth Van Wormer PK 21st min War – Van Wormer (Sydney Weideman) 27th min (Second Half) CA – Korryn Brewer (Kubica) 48th min. 3-2 CA – Kubica (unassisted) 49th min. 3-3 War – Rachel McClelland (unassisted) 50th min. 4-3 CA – Jordan Blackburne (unassisted) 72nd min. 4-4 Shootout CA – Wins on sixth penalty kick (Natasha Wanless) Records: Warsaw 14-2-1, CMA 9-2-2
