CHAMPIONS CROWNED! ~ October 28, 2007
The high school state tournament concluded yesterday and we witnessed some great action at Kuntz Stadium in Indianapolis.
#1 Evansville Memorial (23-0-2) became the fifth team undefeated state champion in the IHSAA era and fourth in a row after defeating #16 Chesterton (18-5-1), 1-0 last night. It is Memorial's first title in the IHSAA era and 11th overall.
Memorial outshot Chesterton 24-5 and 8-2 on goal. While Memorial seemed to control play for most of the game, the Chesterton had some excellent opportunities to put a goal away. The Trojans best chance came in the 51st minute when sophomore Cole Galloway took a great hit from 20 yards comes off the crossbar.
Chesterton took a blow to their chances when senior Jordan Lewis appeared to have suffered a head injury. A cut on his head would seemingly have knocked Lewis out of the game in the 32nd minute. Three minutes into the second half and Lewis would emerge from the locker room with a freshly bandaged head to continue on for the Trojans.
Memorial finally took the lead in the 61st minute. Daniel Farabaugh sent a ball into the box from the right side off a re-start. The 6-3 Fuchs ran under it and headed it down and past Chesterton goalkeeper Alex Mannen.
In the end it was one play that defined a season for one team and left the other just a bit short of big goal. Execution by Memorial on their 61st minute goal and a tiny lapse by Chesterton sealed the outcome.
A very well played game by both sides and Hoosierfutbol.com would like to congratulate Bill Vieth and his Tigers on their championship season. We also would like to congratulate Chesterton and their efforts as the runner-up this season. Congratulations to Goshen High School, Coach Mounsithiraj and North Central High School and Coach Jerry Little on a great season.
#9 Cathedral (16-3-4) jumped all over #6 Penn in the final to cruise to a 4-2 win over the Kingsmen. Penn (21-3-0) could not overcome a strong start from Cathedral in the first half. The Lady Irish got three first half goals to take a commanding lead, a lead they would never give up on their way to the program's first state championship.
Alex Hall of Cathedral got things started with her goal in the 12th minute off a cross from Anna Ventimiglia. Jennifer Collins stepped up and hit an indirect free-kick in the 25th minute that found Anna Parson's head for a goal just off the six yard line, but Cathedral isn't finished yet.
In the 38th minute Cathedral would seemingly finish off Penn with a goal from Natlie Warner who heads it in off a cornerkick from Jennifer Collins. Collins would pick up her second assist in as many attempts.
A 3-0 lead at halftime seemed to deflate the energy in the crowd, but Penn came out very hard. A small lapse though allowed Cathedral to really put the game away this time. Cathedral's Mariah Whitaker takes a ball and goes just inside the 18 yard box where she slots into the right side of the goal to make the Cathedral lead 4-0.
Penn would get two goals within 4 minutes of each other to climb back into the match. Allison Scholtes goal in the 56th minute and Sarah Blaase's goal in the 59th minute helped Penn inch back into the match. Unfortunately Cathedral woke back up and locked things down to finish the match.
Cathedral outshot Penn 17-8, but each team had 7 shots on goal. A very clean game by both teams allowed for some good soccer to be played.
Congratulations to Coach Marc Behringer and the Lady Irish on their championship season! Congratulations to the Penn Kingsmen on a great season as well. We would also like to recognize the Bishop Dwenger Saints on their thrid straight state final's appearance. Congratulations to Coach Todd Sheely and the Lady Tojans of Center Grove on a great run to the finals.
CHAMPIONSHIP MATCHES ARE SET ~ October 27, 2007
#1 Evansville Memorial advances to their first Boy's IHSAA state final and will be going for their 11th overall state title since 1979. Memorial (22-0-2) advanced with a 2-0 win over unranked and a very impressive Goshen Redskin side. The Redskins gave Memorial all they could handle before surrendering a second goal late in the game.
#16 Chesterton (18-4-1) had to use sudden death penalty kicks to eliminate #7 North Central, 6-5 the final outcome. Chesterton senior goalkeeper Alex Mannen was brilliant the entire match, standing in the way of North Central's quest for a 7th overall state championship.
Mannen made 8 saves in regulation and overtime, then stopped two penalty kicks to help the Trojans advance to the championship match. After Mannen stopped Ben Pflederer's penalty, Kurt Fant nalied the final penalty kick to win it for the Trojans.
#9 Cathedral (15-3-4) got a goal in the 54th minute from freshman Sophie Spenia to eliminate #8 Center Grove (20-4-0) from the state finals.
Both teams had plenty of opportunities and it would come down to who flinched first. Spenia made her chance count by scoring her 13th goal of the season.
#6 Penn pulled a little magic out their hat on the west field at Kuntz Stadium Saturday afternoon. Penn used a goal from senior Ashley Sill in the 71st minute to eliminate two-time defending champion, #3 Bishop Dwenger.
Bishop Dwenger (18-3-2) had ample opportunites, there best perhaps in the first hafl when junior Lisa Underwood broke free in the box and couldn't get a good touch on the ball with her left foot and the dribbler was slow enough that Penn goalkeeper Emily Johnson was able to make a diving save to her left.
Both teams rallied with chances, but each time were turned away. Sill made her 11th goal of the season count and Penn moves on to face Cathedral at 8:00 p.m. tonight.
STATE FINALS ARE SET, TEAMS ARE READY TO GO ~ October 25, 2007
The high school soccer season is quickly coming to a close. Fortunately we have one more weekend left to end the season on a high note throughout the state. Every high school player dreams of playing in the state finals, for the chance at a championship moment and for the opportunity to represent their school at the highest level possible. Saturday will be that day where two teams will be crowned the best in all of Indiana.
We start on the girl's side of the game. #3 Bishop Dwenger is going for a third straight state title. Coach Jason Wisniewski's Lady Saints started the season 1-1-1 with a loss to rival Homestead and a draw versus Snider. Since that part of the season the Lady Saints are 17-1-1, winning their last 10 matches in a row by a combined scoreline of 34-0.
Dwenger is led by senior Brittany Lahrman in the net. Brittany has a .408 goals against average, only giving up 7 goals in 1,372 minutes played. Brittany has 16 shutouts in 21 matches played.
The Saints are led in scoring by junior forward Lisa Underwood. Underwood has 51 points on 19 goals and 13 assists. Sophomore Jordan Pawlik is right behind with 35 points on 13 goals and 11 assists.
Dwenger (18-2-2) is battle tested and has the last two state titles to prove it. Dwenger's semi-final opponent is #6 Penn.
The Kingsmen (20-2-0) are also on a big winning streak, winners of their last 11 matches in a row. Penn's only losses were to #8 Center Grove (1-4) and #10 St. Joseph's (0-1 ot/pk). The loss to St. Joseph's was back on September 11th and since that date the Kingsmen have outscored their opponents 44-4 en route to the state finals.
Senior Emily Johnson leads the Kingsmen in the net. Her .395 goals against average is one of the best in the state with only 7 goals allowed all season in 1,418 minutes played.
Junior reserve Paige Stroinski leads the Kingsmen in scoring with 13 goals and 8 assists for 34 points. Following right behind is senior forward Alyssa Johnston with 13 goals and 7 assists for 33 points. The Kingsmen have 13 other players that have contrinuted at least one goal this season and 6 of those players have at least 10 points or more.
#9 Cathedral (14-3-4) will face #8 Center Grove (20-3-0) in the afternoon's other semi-final. The Lady Irish faced thirteen ranked opponents during the regular and post seasons. It won't get any easier this weekend.
Cathedral has two ladies minding the net, first junior Erica Maginn has played 894 minutes, giving up 7 goals with a .626 goals against average. Junior Kathleen Theisen played 800 minutes, giving up only 5 goals with a .500 goals against average. Splitting time with goalkeepers can be a very tricky thing, but the Lady Irish seem to have things figured out here.
The Lady Irish are led by a pair of thirty point scorers. Sophomore sensation Mariah Whitaker has 13 goals and 4 assists, while freshman Sophie Spenia has 12 goals with 6 assists to share the team lead.
Cathedral is making it's first state final's appearance since 1994, the first year of the IHSAA State Tournament.
The Lady Irish's opponent will be #8 Center Grove. Center Grove is making their second appearance in the state finals. The Trojans were runner-up in 1997, losing to Carmel.
The Trojans have outscored their opponents in the state tournament 30-0. Carmel coach Frank Dixon called the Trojans a very dangerous team that could contend for a state title.
The Trojans are led by senior forward Megan Hock who has 60 points on 25 goals and 10 assists. Senior Shae Morris protects the Trojan's net. Morris has a .539 goals against average with 12 goals allowed in 1,780 minutes played. Morris has 13 shutouts to go along with her numbers.
A balanced attack of 7 other players with 10 or more points make the Trojans a tough team to keep out of the net. The team also only gave up 2 goals in 3 games this season (Carmel- 1-2 loss, Lawrence North- 1-2 loss and Ben Davis-4-2 win).
The top ten state final four, that is what we have on the girl's side this year. Bishop Dwenger returning so many players from last year's state championship team is awfully hard to pick against. Penn is coming in hot, but won't be enough against such a tough team in Dwenger. Our prediction, 3-1 Dwenger.
Center Grove has been lauded all season for their consistent play. Coach Todd Sheely's lady Trojans played in arguably the best conference in the state (Metropolitan Intersholastic) and they are coming into the state finals outscoring their oppoenents 30-0.
Cathedral is kind of a surprise team from the Indy area, young and loaded with talented players all over the field. It should be a defensive battle from start to finish in this match. Our prediction, Center Grove 2-1 (ot/pk)
BOY'S STATE FINALS
#1 Evansville Memorial is making their third straight appearance in Indianapolis. Coach Bill Vieth's Tigers were also just promoted to the #1 ranking in the nation courtesy of the NSCAA (National Soccer Coach's Association of America). If that isn't enough to have as a target they are playing the cinderella Goshen Redskins.
The Redskins (17-2-3) have been steady all season with losses only to #13 Elkhart Central (0-1) and Northridge who was #16 at the time, a 0-2 loss. Bethany Christian head coach Hank Willems called the Redskins " a serious threat to make it to the state finals." We now see why as they rolled through the state tournament scoring 20 goals and only giving up 3 in the process.
The Redskins have six players with 10 points or more led by senior midfielder Alan Hernandez's 12 goals and 9 assists good for 30 points. Coach Viritham Mousithiraj or Coach V to all in or around the program has employed split goalkeeper system. Junior Jason Lauver has played 960 minutes giving up 6 goals for a .500 goals against average with 7 shutouts. Sophomore Naciel Rodriguez has played 800 minutes giving up 7 goals for a .700 goals against average with 4 shutouts. A balanced defense that only gave up 13 goals in 23 games will be tested by it's best opponent of the year.
Memorial (21-0-2) is working on an undefeated season. Last year Carmel took out the Tigers in the semi-final game en route to their perfect season. This year Memorial wants their third trip in a row to end with a state title.
The Tigers are making their third straight appearance and 5th since the IHSAA state tournament started. The Tigers are 0-5 in their 5 state finals appearances. In Indiana soccer history though, the Tigers have 10 titles dating back to 1979, the most in history of Indiana High School Soccer. The Tigers were champions in 79, 80, 81, 83, 84, 86, 88, 89, 90 and 92. It would seem this is Memorial's year to shine with such a talented team and having answered every challenge during the regular-season.
The Tigers are led by junior Trev Wilgus in the net. Wilgus has played 1000 minutes this season giving up 3 goals for a .246 goals against average with 10 shutouts. Wilgus shares the net with senior JT Welte who has played 840 minutes giving up only 5 goals for a .476 goals against average with 9 shutouts.
Thirteen players have 10 points or more for the Tigers and their explosive attack. Senior Andrew Fuchs leads Memorial with 49 points on 21 goals and 7 assists. Senior forward BJ Stapleton follows up with 30 points on 7 goals and 16 assists, a team high.
The second semi-final also features tradition and another new kid on the block. #7 North Central will be going for it's 8th overall state title and 6th IHSAA title when they face off with #16 Chesterton (17-4-1). The Panthers (17-3-3) are here with a team that few expected would contend this year.
Chesterton is making it's first ever appearance in the state finals. Coach Jamie Sensibaugh and his Trojans are on a roll, playing rival after rival in the state tournament. Chesterton knocked off Valparaiso (3-2 ot) in the sectional final, Lake Central (2-1) and Elkhart Central (2-1 ot) in the semi-state finals.
Chesterton is led by veteran goalkeeper, senior Alex Mannen. Mannen has played 1,720 minutes giving up 18 goals for a .837 goals against average with 11 shutouts.
Senior Jordan Lewis is the points leader for the Trojans. Lewis has 44 points on 16 goals and 12 assists. Lewis has been playing with a partially torn miniscus in his right knee for the last half of the season. Lewis's free kicks and throw-ins have been key to the Trojans capitalizing on their chances.
Lewis's teammate, sophomore Cole Galloway has been key to the Trojan's post-season run. Galloway has the game-winner in both semi-state games and comes in to the state finals with 13 goals and 7 assists for 33 points.
North Central was definitely not expected to be here, but here the Panthers are. Coach Jerry Little has done a masterful coaching job and his players are responding. The Panthers are on a 6 game winning streak and playing very well. Four of the six wins come against ranked teams.
North Central is led by senior goalkeeper Kelly Powers who has played 1,705 minutes, allowing 16 goals for a .751 goals against average with 9 shutouts.
The Panthers leading scorer is junior forward Matt Sanner who has 49 points on 19 goals and 11 assists. Sophomore midfielder Nikita Kotlov follows with 27 points on 9 goals and 9 assists.
We should have one of the most balanced state finals on the boy's side in years. Count on close games and probably quite a few goals being scored.
#1 Memorial is clicking, scoring at will and stingy in the back. Goshen will have to play near flawless soccer to upset the Tigers. Coach V's Redskins need to stay poised in the back and capitalize on the chances they get. Our prediction is 4-2 Memorial over Goshen in the first semi-final.
#16 Chesterton has shown all season that it can be the type of team to win it all. A tough schedule and solid talent all over the field will give the Trojans as good a chance to go on as anyone. Chesterton will need finish early to work out those nerves, while North Central will hold on and brace for whatever Chesterton thows at them. If Sanner and junior Corey Fundenberger can connect with Kotlov feeding off the two, it could prove too potent for the Trojans defense. 
Our prediction is Chesterton 3-2 over North Central.
Submitted by Jayson Vincent
