Slicers win first soccer sectional

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LAPORTE -- It seemed like an eternity for the ball to finally hit the goal post and roll into the net.

LaPorte's Jesus Flores was just hoping his shot -- which deflected off Michigan City goalie Anthony Kim's hand -- would end up in the net.

Flores' goal with 16:37 left -- only his second of an injury-plagued season, and the only score of the game -- lifted the Slicers to a 1-0 win over the defending-champion Wolves in the title game of the LaPorte Sectional Saturday.

"It feels great,'' Flores said. "We've been waiting for this for a long time. We've worked really hard for this.''

The victory gave the Slicers (6-11-1) the first soccer sectional title in the program's history.

LaPorte advances to the Valparaiso Regional and plays the Culver Community Sectional winner Wednesday at 4:30 p.m.

"It feels very good,'' LaPorte coach Chris Buresh said. "We have a great senior class. Having been involved with this program for nine years now, I can speak from a player's and coach's perspective. We've never done it before, so it was nice.

"This team has been through a lot (with injuries, etc.) and managed to work through it, and this is sort of the grapes of the reward.''

LaPorte goalie Grant Noakes made five saves and the Slicers' defense frustrated the usually potent Wolves offense that's led by Spencer Stahl (21 goals) and Chris Henderson (16 assists).

"I trust my defense; they've done well all year,'' Noakes said. "I feel like I played really well today. I came out sometimes and I should have even come out more. I talked and communicated with my defense a lot.''

Michigan City coach Bruce Stahl was disappointed in the outcome.

Stahl said LaPorte shouldn't have scored on Flores' shot.

"The goalie made the save and nobody got there to clear it,'' he said. "We didn't bring our 'A' game today. It seemed like we were going uphill all day long. We didn't seem to have the energy we normally have.

"We didn't share the ball well and we played in a hurry. We don't play well in a hurry. When we play well, we're sort of peaceful.''

The loss put a damper on an otherwise successful season for the Wolves (12-6).

"It was a great season, but we were a different team today,'' Stahl said. "I thought it was our worst game of the year -- and it wasn't because we lost; it was because we didn't come to play with the energy and composure we needed to.''