Whiteland girls soccer falls to Roncalli

INDIANAPOLIS

Whiteland ended the season the way it started it, yet the weeks separating losses to Roncalli were highlighted by equal parts growth and accomplishment.

That, more than anything else, is what forms the foundation for next season.

On Tuesday, the Royals defeated the Warriors, 3-0, in the opening round of the Class 3A sectional at Franklin Central, scoring all of their goals in the second half.

In August, Roncalli won a 4-0 match in which it tallied three first-half goals.

“The progress was great. We were right in it,” said Whiteland coach Nick Magdalinos, whose squad finishes with a 10-6 record. “A couple of things didn’t go our way, and maybe we started to play a little timid because of those things.

“I think that took some of the air out of our balloon.”

Roncalli attempted 14 shots on goal the first half compared to Whiteland’s three, but none found the back of the net.

The final 40 minutes painted a different picture, with junior Fi Kelley breaking the ice for the Royals with a point-blank kick from straightaway with 35:18 on the clock. With 22:07 remaining, Kelley’s header sailed just beyond the extended right arm of Warriors senior goalkeeper McKinley Garrett.

Roncalli applied the finishing touches with a goal from sophomore Summer Fishel at the 15:12 mark.

The statistical discrepancy — the Royals attempting 29 shots on goal to Whiteland’s five — helped push the Royals (9-7-1) into Thursday night’s 6 p.m. semifinal against Columbus North (7-6-3). The teams played during the regular season, with Roncalli eking out a 1-0 victory.

Thursday’s second semifinal will be decided by this evening’s winners. Franklin plays Columbus East at 6 p.m., followed by Greenwood-Franklin Central.

“We battled. There’s no shame in losing, especially when you give it all you’ve got,” Magdalinos said. “I can’t be anything but proud of this group. They play hard. They’ve learned. I’m just sorry it ended kind of early for us.”

Eight Warrior seniors played their final high school match.

It’s a group that helped the program elevate to new heights, including posting a 5-2 record against Mid-State Conference opponents. That left Whiteland tied with Martinsville for second in the final league standings.

“I just think we really took the adversity from all the (previous) years,” senior midfielder Haley Achs said. “Starting 1-15 our freshman year, we’ve just known what this program can become. Everybody believed we could do it.

“We just came back in games we never would have three or four years ago. We went into games believing we could win. We stepped on the field knowing that we were good enough to be on that field.”