Warsaw Girls Soccer Team Rallies For Win At Plymouth
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Anthony Gadson-agadson@timesuniononline.com
PLYMOUTH — After dominating three-straight non-conference opponents, the Warsaw girls soccer team was back in Northern Lakes Conference play Wednesday in Plymouth, getting a big 4-2 comeback victory. Following their 1-0 win at Concord on Sept. 11, the Lady Tigers (9-1, 4-1 NLC) dominated Fort Wayne Northrop (7-0), Columbia City (10-0) and Fort Wayne Snider (5-0), but with the competition ratcheted up, they were in a scrap at Plymouth (4-4-3, 0-3-2 NLC), needing two goals in the final 4:31 to get the win. “I’m proud of the girls for how they continued to battle through that adversity that was out there,” Warsaw head coach Peter Lucht said. “Battle is the right word. It’s the key word.” With Warsaw trailing 1-0 early, junior Elizabeth VanWormer knotted things up with a penalty kick goal with 4:34 left in the opening half, after senior Brooklyn Jackson was fouled in the box. Jackson then scored off a VanWormer assist in the 49th minute, but Plymouth senior Kaydon Fosler erased that lead with a goal on a free kick outside the box with 10:04 left to play. Staring a draw in the face, VanWormer struck again, scoring with 4:31 left on the clock. Just under a minute-and-a-half later, senior defender Clair Snodgrass hit sophomore Julie Frazzetta with a nice pass just inside the box, which she converted into another score. Following the three-consecutive blowouts, Lucht admitted he would have liked for those to continue, but knows there’s positives in being pushed by better teams. “I would prefer to win every game 5-0,” Lucht said. “We’ve played some good teams and had some good wins, he added. “Plymouth is certainly a good team, and our NLC is really a strong conference. You have to battle if you want to end up anywhere near the top. You’ve just got to battle. It’s good to get pressed, because it’s a character-revealing situation. My girls displayed phenomenal character tonight.” The comeback keeps the Lady Tigers’ hopes of a conference title alive. Currently, Goshen is on top of the standings at 5-0-1, followed by Northridge and Warsaw at 4-1 and Concord at 4-2. Goshen closes its conference season out Tuesday at Concord, while Warsaw still has Wawasee at home Saturday, then goes to Northridge on Oct. 2. “I’m actually trying to actively not look at the standings around the conference, because I know we’re in the running and in the mix,” Lucht said. “I want us to focus on one game at a time. I haven’t told the girls not to look, but I prefer for them to take it just one game at a time as well.” With her two-goal, one-assist performance, VanWormer had a lot to do with the latest victory, but she wasn’t alone, according to Lucht. “Elizabeth is a great talent,” he said. “There’s no denying that, but there’s also 10-15 other girls that are on the squad that are great talents as well. We certainly want to give credit to Liz for the two goals, but she couldn’t have gotten those goals without a ton of other effort from around the pitch as well.” Warsaw is back in action tonight at home against Manchester (4-7-1).
WARSAW 4, PLYMOUTH 2 P – Stacy Diaz (Allie Wright) 8th min. W – Elizabeth VanWormer (penalty kick) 36th min. W – Brooklyn Jackson (VanWormer) 49th min. P – Kaydon Fosler (direct kick) 70th min. W – VanWormer 76th min. W – Julie Frazzetta (Clair Snodgrass) 77th min. Shots – Warsaw 20, Plymouth 10; Shots on Goal – Warsaw 9, Plymouth 5; Saves – Warsaw (Allison Hill) 3, Plymouth (Katie Berg) 5; Fouls (Yellow Card) – Warsaw 21, Plymouth 17 (Bailey Brown); Offsides – Warsaw 6, Plymouth 0; Corner Kicks – Warsaw 2, Plymouth 1. Records: Warsaw 9-1 (4-1 NLC), Plymouth 4-4-3 (0-3-2).
