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ARGOS - When it comes right down to it, championship teams know how to convert opportunities when they present themselves.
In the first ever meeting of varsity boys soccer teams from Culver Military Academy and Warsaw, CMA took advantage of two key opportunities and topped the Tigers 2-1 for the sectional championship Saturday night at Argos High School.
"I feel bad for these kids," Warsaw coach Scott Bauer said of his team. "They don't get the recognition the other sports get. We don't get the student body out here at our games. I'm disapointed because a sectional championship would have made their hard work pay off."
Warsaw finished its season with a 8-7-4 overall record; CMA improved to 11-4-2 and will play in Wednesday's regional at Argos.
Warsaw's last sectional championship, its only in school history, came in 1997 when it advanced to the semistate before falling to eventual state champion Fort Wayne Canterbury.
After the two teams played through a scoreless first period, CMA junior halfback Pablo Martinez broke the tie with a goal on a free kick with 26:01 remaining in the contest.
Refusing to go down without a fight, the Tigers lit up the scoreboard when senior forward Peter Lucht made good on a penalty kick with 17:16 left in regulation.
"All three goals were scored on incidental hand balls that never should have been called," Bauer said. "On a bouncy field like this, you gotta expect that. Hats off to CMA, they played good. I hate to see this decided by officiating, I'd liked to have seen a goal in normal play."
With 1:50 remaining in the game the Tigers were called for another hand ball foul, giving CMA sophomore halfback Alvero Arzu a penalty kick.
Warsaw goalie Joshua Stork stopped Arzu's shot but was whistled for coming off his mark. According to the rules, a goalie is allowed to move side to side in the situation but not forward, as Stork did.
Arzu's second attempt found the back of the goal, giving the Eagles the sectional championship.
"I knew enough about them that they would give us a game," Bauer said of meeting CMA for the first time. "We scouted them and saw them on film. I just thought we could have played a little better. We had a lot of injuries."
Sophomore halfback Adam Hodge and senior halfback Ben Minnick were injured, though Minnick did see playing time.
CULVER MILITARY ACADEMY 2, WARSAW 1
CMA 0 2 - 2
Warsaw 0 1 - 1
Goals - CMA, Pablo Martinez (free kick) 53:50; Warsaw, Peter Lucht (penalty kick) 62:19; CMA, Alvero Arzu (penalty kick) 78:10
Records - CMA 11-4-2, Warsaw 8-7-4
