The two best defenses in the Northern Lakes Conference matched up Thursday night when Warsaw traveled to Middlebury to take on the Northridge Raiders. With both teams only giving up a goal each in conference play, a low scoring game seemed inevitable.

The opening twenty minutes saw action on both ends of the field as the game took a fast pace from the kickoff. As the first half continued on, Warsaw's possession hit another gear as chances began to increase for the Tigers. With seven minutes to play in the first half, Warsaw really turned up the heat as three different scoring chances resulted in three different shots being saved of the goal line by Northridge players. As the halftime horn went off, there was a feeling of relief for the Raiders and a feeling of frustration growing with the Tigers.

The second half began as the first half ended, with Warsaw again dominating possession and getting multiple opportunities to score in the first five minutes. With 33:46 left in
the game, Lola Pepper broke through the back line, dribbled up the endine, and ripped a shot near-post past the Raider goalkeeper to give Warsaw aa 1-0 edge. The Lady Tigers would continue pepper the Northridge goal with shots and laid multiple crosses along the goalline, but none of them would find the back of the net.

Northridge gave a strong push in the last 5 minutes, but Warsaw's back line consistently won the ball in tight spaces and found ways to keep possession.

When the final horn sounded, Lola Pepper's goal would be the only goal of the match.

Claire German played the entire game to earn the shutout for the Lady Tigers. 

"I'm so proud of this group," said a beaming coach Jon Hoover during the post-match celebration. "We really found our groove and a new pace to our possession tonight. Our seniors have led us so well this year. Zoe and Jordan showed grit in the back tonight. Macy Wayne moved the ball with vigor and conviction in the middle of the field, while Rylee caused problems all night for the Raider back line. We are excited to not only win, but to play this type of soccer right before we head into our opening sectional game. These girls have put the work in for years and are seeing the benefits of their dedication and commitment to get better."

With the win, Warsaw claims the NLC championship with an undefeated 7-0 season. The Warsaw defense finished the NLC season with only giving up one goal over the course of 7 games. The senior class has now won four straight NLC championships and will close their conference careers with an astounding 26-1-1 record over their four years.

Warsaw's regular season now comes to a close with an 11-4-2 record.

With the regular season now complete, the Lady Tigers will open their sectional run against Northrop Tuesday night. Northrop is the host site for the sectional, with Warsaw and Northrop facing off at 7:30pm. The winner will move on to face the winner of Columbia City and Huntington North Thursday night.