Tiger Boys, Girls Soccer Go For NLC Titles TodayWarsaw seeks to close out perfect Northern Lakes Conference seasons in both boys and girls soccer tonight with matchups against fellow league contender Northridge.
The Tiger boys visit the Raiders in Middlebury, while the girls will be at home.
On the boys side is the potentially more confusing of the two league races. Class 3A No. 7-ranked Warsaw stands 6-0, while No. 13-rated Northridge is 4-0-1.
The Tigers can end all suspense by winning Thursday’s game. Even a tie gives Warsaw the conference hardware.
If the Raiders win, though, then Saturday’s 10 a.m. resumption of Northridge’s suspended match at Elkhart Memorial comes into play.
That game is deadlocked 1-1 with 22 minutes to go.
Under NLC bylaws, three points are awarded for a win and one point for a tie in determining the league standings.
If the Raiders beat both Warsaw and Memorial to finish 6-0-1, they’d take the league crown. If, however, Northridge beats the Tigers, but the Memorial game remains tied, Warsaw would still win the title based on a 6-1 record (18 points) to the Raiders’ 5-0-2 (17 points).
Warsaw has outscored NLC opponents 31-6 to this season, while the Raiders have been stifling on defense, outtallying league foes 24-1. Both teams are 9-5-1 overall.
The Tiger boys are 14-2 overall, while North-ridge is 12-2-1.
Strictly in NLC play, Warsaw has outscored the opposition 19-3, while the Raiders are at 22-4. Both of Thursday’s varsity battles will follow 5:30 p.m. junior varsity contests.
On the girls side, the No. 19 Tigers and unranked Northridge both enter their showdown at 6-0 in league play.
The winner takes the conference championship. If the teams tie, they’ll also tie for league honors.
The Lady Tigers are led by senior Abby Steffensmeier, who took over as career goals leader in school history earlier this season. She has 19 goals this season and 77 in her career. Junior Audrey Grimm is second on the team in scoring with 15 goals this year.
Turning to next week’s sectionals, the Tiger girls will remain at home, while the boys will be right back at Northridge, each going against entirely different sets of opponents.
The Warsaw girls host a five-teamer and will play in Tuesday’s 6 p.m. opening game against Fort Wayne Wayne. The winner returns on Wednesday to face Fort Wayne South, following the 5:30 p.m. matchup between No. 10 Homestead and Huntington North. The sectional championship is at 7 p.m. Oct. 12.
In boys play, the Tigers are in a seven-teamer and are likewise in the opening game.
Warsaw faces Concord at 6 p.m. Monday. Tuesday’s games send Penn against Elkhart Central at 5 p.m., followed by No. 20 Goshen against Elkhart Memorial.
Monday’s winner plays in Wednesday’s 5 p.m. sectional semifinal against the bye-team and host-team Raiders. Tuesday’s survivors square off in the second semifinal.
