Wawasee Beats Warsaw 2-1

Paul Boyd celebrated by raising his arms, fists punching the blue Saturday sky. His players celebrated with a gang pile, much like the pitcher mobbed by teammates after the final out of the World Series.

For the first time since Boyd became Wawasee's coach in 1995, the Warriors won on Warsaw's home field. Wawasee beat Warsaw 2-1 in Saturday's Northern Lakes Conference game. Wawasee moved to 6-1-2 overall and 1-1 in the NLC, while Warsaw dropped to 5-3-2 overall and 0-3-0 in the NLC.

"I hope I'm not talking too fast," Boyd said. "This was a good win for Wawasee."

The game featured a team (Wawasee) whose strength is offense against a team (Warsaw) whose strength is defense.

Offense won out.

Wawasee broke a 1-1 tie when junior Tyler Bell assisted senior Chad Wooten on his goal midway through the second period.

The teams finished the first half in a 1-1 tie. Wawasee took a 1-0 lead in the first period when sophomore Brent Bokhart assisted senior Kris Shipley on a goal. Shipley drilled a shot to the upper left corner of the goalpost, a place where even if Warsaw sophomore goalkeeper Josh Stork knew it was going, he could do nothing to stop it.

"We don't do X's and O'x like in football or basketball, but that was an X's and O's goal," Boyd said of Wawasee's play that set up the goal. "You couldn't do it any better than that."

After Wawasee scored its first

goal, the Tigers exhibited their best stretch of offense of the day as its midfield took control. Warsaw finished with nine shots on goal, and most of them came from the midway point of the first period through halftime. Some of the kicks sailed high or wide of the goal, a header attempted out front failed, and Wawasee goalkeeper Brian Pollock stopped a few.

Warsaw tied the game at 1-all when junior Trevor Shaffer assisted sophomore Adam Hodge, who got into a one-on-one situation with Pollock and kicked the ball into the upper right corner of the goal.

"It was a breakdown," Boyd said. "Our keeper came off the field and said he was sorry, but it wasn't his fault. That ball should have been taken care of 25 yards out, but it went through four guys."

While senior Alex Hernandez wasn't credited with any assists or goals, he helped set up both Wawasee scores.

"He's just a soccer player," Boyd said. "Here is a kid who was ejected against NorthWood, and he comes back and is in the mix for both goals. I think he sleeps with a soccer ball."

As elated as Boyd was, Warsaw coach Scott Bauer was just as disappointed. He watches his team play defense good enough to win games. He watches his team run its offense and get its cracks at the goal, only to fail to score.

Scoring the ball has been a problem throughout the season, as it was again Saturday. Wawasee outshot Warsaw 10-9, including 7-1 in the second half. Warsaw won corner kicks 3-1. Bauer knew Warsaw had its chances.

Afterward, Bauer sat on an ice chest in the middle of the soccer field, pondered the game and took several seconds before answering the first question.

"I think Wawasee came out with a lot of heart," he said. "We matched their intensity for the first half.

"Then what happens is our Achilles' heel. We get looks, we're working our offense, and all we need is someone to put the ball in the goal. When we don't, we get demoralized. The kids get demoralized when we get good looks and nobody can finish for us.

"Wawasee had a couple of nice opportunities and scored on both. We could get 30 chances and not put the ball in. I don't know, maybe we're spooked or something. We just don't have the strikers to finish."

WAWASEE 2, WARSAW 1

Saturday at CCAC

*Times of the goals were not available.

Goals

First period

WAW -ÊKris Shipley (Brent Bokhart assist), 1-0 WAW

WAR -ÊAdam Hodge (Trevor Shaffer assist), 1-1

Second period

WAW - Chad Wooten (Tyler Bell assist), 2-1 WAW

Shots on goal - Wawasee 10, Warsaw 9

Corner kicks -ÊWarsaw 3, Wawasee 1

Records -ÊWawasee 6-1-2 (1-1 NLC), Warsaw 5-3-2 (0-3-0 NLC)

JV: WARSAW 1, WAWASEE 1

WAW -ÊOwn goal

WAR -ÊKyle Burnett (Kirk Burnett)

Records -ÊWawasee 4-1-2 (1-0-1 NLC), Warsaw 6-0-2 (2-0-1)