Published: October 06, 2008 11:45 pm      

PREP SOCCER: Heights beats NW in title match

Both teams entered MIC finale with 5-0 records

The girls soccer teams from Northwestern and Hamilton Heights tangled for the Mid-Indiana Conference hardware Monday night. Each entered the final league game unbeaten in conference play at 5-0 and both went home with bruises and injuries to show they’d been in a big game.

Only one could take the hardware however.

Heights secured the title with a 5-2 victory at Northwestern, courtesy of a strong passing performance. Northwestern hung around for most of the game, cutting the HH lead to 3-2 with 23 minutes left to play with a header by Kayla Priday off a cross by Annelise Tarkington, but Heights scored twice in the next 11 minutes to re-assert control.

“We certainly had a good spell there [early in the second half] but we came out slowly,” NW coach Paul Crook said. Heights led 3-1 at halftime. “I think it’s the way they played. We were just not used to their speed, their accurate passing. We did alter the formation and that helped keep the score down a little bit, but they were very dangerous.”

The schedule placed the Huskies-Tigers matchup as the last league date for both schools. Heights improved to 11-3-1 overall and 6-0 MIC. Northwestern fell to 12-3, 5-1 MIC.

“Our girls never take it for granted,” HH coach Brittney Hensley said of the perennial MIC champ Heights. “Every year, it’s easy to lose so we come out with the mentality that we have to work very hard to take this. Our girls have a lot of heart and they wanted this.”

Heights struck early as Kate Hunter scored from a tight angle in the 10th minute. The Huskies doubled their advantage in the 18th minute on a shot by Taylor Carl. Northwestern pulled a goal back in the 22nd minute when Sarah Lubben pounced on a loose ball in the box. Heights goalie Danielle Duvall was injured in the scramble and taken to a hospital with a possible concussion.

Hunter added a third goal for Heights in the 29th minute to put the Huskies up 3-1. After halftime, a strong period of pressure by Northwestern netted Priday’s goal in the 57th minute but Heights answered with goals by Jesse Culp and another Carl netter.

“I was very impressed with the way Hamilton Heights played,” Crook said.

“[Our players] were slow and I think it’s because you can only play as well as the other team allows you, and I think we weren’t passing, we were basically on the defense all the time. Guerin Catholic wasn’t as good as that. It’s something we haven’t seen this season.”

Hensley liked her squad’s display.

“I think Northwestern was a good team,” Hensley said. “We just kind of battled back and forth throughout the game and that’s what it came down to was who was able to consistently attack the most and was able to … hit their opportunities.”

Northwestern hosts Tipton Thursday.

GIRLS SOCCER

Taylor 3, Tri-Central 1

The Titans improved to 6-6 with the two goal win over sectional opponent Tri-Central.

Taylor’s Amber Doehrman scored all three goals and Kylie Weeks had four saves.

Taylor coach John Protiowicz was pleased to see a win against TC.

“It was the first time that we have come out on top against Tri-Central,” Protiowicz said. “The girls are playing well, and it’s good to see that they are putting it together before sectionals.”

VOLLEYBALL

Western def. Carroll 25-15, 25-9, 25-22

Sable Staller led Western (9-13) with 14 kills, seven digs and five aces in shutting out the Cougars.

Taylor Ruch had four kills, four digs and three aces. Nikki McCracken added nine kills and five digs. Nicole Rogers came up with four kills. Taylor Young had three kills. Brianna Rollins contributed 26 assists, and Janel Dewitt had 10 digs.

Western coach Dennis Crum was pleased.

“We took care of business [in defeating Carroll],” Crum said. “We didn’t serve well in game one, and game two was more of what I expected. In the third game, we were trying some different things.”

Northwestern def. Taylor 25-19, 25-11, 25-13

Northwestern finally broke out of the winless column in Mid-Indiana Conference play by sweeping Taylor.

The Tigers improved to 1-4 in the MIC, and 9-14 overall.

“It was nice to get our first conference win,” Northwestern coach Marty Britten said. “We have been in so many matches that could have gone either way. I was proud of how we played. The first game was tight, and in the second game, we wore them down a little bit.”

Kylie Ballard led Northwestern with six service points, including two aces, six kills, six serve receptions, five digs, and one solo block and three block assists. Laney Sewell added eight service points, including three aces, five serve receptions, four digs and three kills. Bailey Muhlenkamp came up with 16 service points, including three aces, three digs, and two block assists. Cat Lowden had 12 service points, including three aces and four digs. Amy Harshman totaled three kills, three digs, three serve receptions and two block assists. Jenny Kesler contributed with five kills, three block assists and one solo block. Bri Kuffel had four serve receptions, three digs and two block assists, and Alex Wiley had five serve receptions.

“Ballard had a really nice game,” Britten said. “Sewell got us points at crucial times, and Muhlenkamp had 10 service points for us in the second game. Lowden served well for us, and she did an outstanding job in the second row.”

Tribune sports writer Kenny Hetzler contributed to this roundup.