Lady Tigers Make It Three In A RowWhile the Warsaw boys soccer team was wrapping up its fifth-straight sectional title in Plymouth, the Warsaw girls were winning their third straight Saturday in Warsaw. On their home field, the Warsaw Lady Tigers (12-4-2) avenged an early season draw with the NorthWood Lady Panthers (11-5-2), winning Sectional 7 by a 2-1 score. “Our senior leadership showed,” Warsaw coach Dan Miller said Sunday morning. “Nine seniors, girls who had won two sectional championships going into this one. They came out with the right kind of mentality.” One of those seniors was the school’s all-time leading scorer, Meredith Hollar. After suffering a knee injury on Aug. 21 at Plymouth, Hollar was forced to sit out the Aug. 23 home game against NorthWood, which ended in a 1-1 draw. With her on the field for the sectional, Hollar got to work quickly, scoring in the second minute off an assist from sophomore Danielle Hutcherson. “It was very much a back-and-forth game,” Miller said. “We jumped on them right away with a quick goal. Meredith had just a beautiful shot to the far post, to put us up.” Miller commented the two Northern Lakes Conference teams played evenly from there, and that showed on the scoreboard when NorthWood’s Val Ostrowski tied things up with a goal in the 66th minute. Knotted at 1-1 late in the contest, Hollar scored her 24th goal of the season and 66th for her career in 75th minute, off a pass from classmate Gabby Monroy. “Instead of putting their heads down and going, 'Oh no', they showed the desire to come back and win,” Miller said. “Gabby Monroy played an amazing through ball to Meredith, who did what she does – puts the ball in the back of the net to give us the sectional championship.” Along with this being the senior class’ third-straight sectional crown, it was also the first time a Warsaw girls team has been to four-straight sectional championship games. “This class has definitely left a legacy,” Miller said. “There are so many incredible players that are a part of this group. To win three-straight sectional championships is just an incredible accomplishment for them.” Warsaw now advances to this week’s Goshen Regional, where it will play 11-4-4 Penn Wednesday at 7 p.m. With a win, the Lady Tigers would advance to Saturday’s 7 p.m. championship against No. 4 South Bend St. Joseph (17-2) or Concord (15-1-2). “The class of team goes up as you move on in the tournament,” Miller said. “Obviously, Penn High School has a rich tradition in soccer. They're not going to be an easy opponent, but with the way we're playing, I think it's going to be a great match.”
WARSAW 2, NORTHWOOD 1 (Sectional 7, C’ship) W – Meredith Hollar (Danielle Hutcherson) 2nd min. N – Val Ostrowski 66th min. W – Hollar (Gabby Monroy) 75th min. Shots – Warsaw 10, NW 9; Saves – Warsaw (Abby Schue) 8, NW (Hayley Maggard) 8; Corner Kicks – Warsaw 4, NW 1 Records: Warsaw 12-4-2, NW 11-5-2
