Wild ride ends for Slicers with 4-0 loss

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CROWN POINT -- It was a terrific ride for the LaPorte boys soccer team, even if the ending was bumpy.

The Slicers surprisingly won their first sectional title and stunningly won their first regional title. But in the semifinals of the Crown Point Semistate on Saturday, Mishawaka Marian topped LaPorte 4-0.

"It's one of those things, I wish our guys could've had a better showing," said Slicers coach Chris Buresh, whose team hadn't allowed a goal in its first four postseason games. "We came out flat, and had some defensive lapses in the first half."

Marian junior forward Richard Was was the source of much of the Slicers' trouble.

The Knights (14-6) took a 1-0 lead 19 minutes into the game, as Was sped past the Slicers defense down the right wing and finished from close range.

Marian then all but put away the game with two goals in 32 seconds.

Was set up one with six-and-a-half minutes left in the first half, with Killian Probst converting a cross. And Marian wasted little time in striking again on Henry Blum's goal, opening a 3-0 cushion.

The Knights, who advanced to Saturday's final against Munster, put the finishing touches on the victory with a beautifully executed free kick with 26 minutes left in the game. Manuel Garcia stepped over the ball, Probst then took the restart and fed Garcia, who buried the shot.

The Slicers (8-12-1) started the season 1-9-1, but regrouped nicely to finish it with a flourish.

They started eight seniors on Saturday, but their watershed season should lay a foundation for future success.

"It's a great testament to the seniors and the kids who are part of the program," Buresh said. "It shows if you put your sweat into something, it tends to pay off.

"They'll look back on it and be happy about the barriers they broke."

Contact Michael Osipoff at 648-3137 or mosipoff@post-trib.com. Comment on this story at www.post-trib.com.