Continuously serving Kosciusko County since 1854
In more ways than one, a trio of injuries left Warsaw's varsity girls soccer team hurting Thursday afternoon at the City-County Athletic Complex.
Hosting a talented Columbia City team, an Eagle squad that played Warsaw to a tie last year with a lineup of sophomores, the Tigers wasted no time in setting the tone early as junior Amy Durgin scored just 2:53 into the game.
The Tigers kept that lead through the first 10 minutes of the second half, but with key defender Katie Dawson not in uniform and their top two scorers in Abby Rankin and Durgin down early in the game with a knee and ankle injuries, respectively, Columbia City scored a pair of second-half goals for a 2-1 win.
"We lost three players to injury," said Warsaw coach Mike Getz. "Playing without two strong offensive players and a key defender hurt us. We had to go deep into the bench, and we're a young team this year."
A program that has been to the semistate level three straight years, Warsaw graduated 12 players from last year's team and its roster this year includes 11 freshmen and sophomores.
Durgin got her ankle wrapped at halftime and returned, but as Getz said, "the damage had already been done" and the Tigers couldn't regain momentum.
The loss dropped Warsaw to 4-4-1 on the season.
Columbia City was able to maintain possession of the ball and keep it in Warsaw's half of the field for long periods of time in the second half, and junior Kendra Reimer put the Eagles on the scoreboard for the first time in the 51st minute of action.
Eight minutes later, freshman Emily Salliant scored what turned out to be the game-winner.
The host Tigers had chances in the closing minutes to tie the game, but couldn't convert.
"When your leading scorer (Rankin) goes down with 60 or 70 minutes left in an 80-minute game, that has an effect on you," said Getz. "We couldn't keep the ball on their end of the field long enough after that."
Columbia City finished the game with seven shots on goal, while Warsaw had five. Eagle keeper Sara Schlotterback had four saves, while Tiger goalie Kelsey Alcorn prevented five Eagle scores.
Warsaw is in action again Saturday in the South Bend Clay Invitational. The Tigers battle Clay at 11:30 a.m. and St. Joe at 5 p.m.
COLUMBIA CITY 2, WARSAW 1
Warsaw goal - Amy Durgin 3rd minute (Lindsay Anderson)
Columbia City goals - Kendra Reimer 51st minute; Emily Salliant 59th minute
JV - Columbia City 1, Warsaw 0
