Goshen Soccer Squad Wins State Title
INDIANAPOLIS – The Goshen High School boys soccer team made school history Saturday.
The Redskins etched their names into athletic lore by claiming the program’s first state championship.
Senior JT Plavchak scored on a penalty kick with just 6:53 to play in regulation to lift his team to a thrilling 1-0 win over Brebeuf in the Class 2-A state title match play at Carroll Stadium on the IUPUI campus.
Coach Viratham Mounsithiraj’s talented team becomes just the third team state champion in GHS history and the first since the 1988 football team, led by former Notre Dame and NFL quarterback Rick Mirer. Goshen also won a state football title in 1978.
The defensive-minded Redskins, who were ranked No. 16 in the final poll, used their trademark to win again. Goshen posted its sixth straight shutout in postseason play, including three in overtime games. The Redskins played an amazing 550 consecutive shutout minutes in the state tournament series en route to winning it all.
Plavchak scored the game winner after the Braves were called for a hand-ball in the box.
Tyler Born had five saves to notch yet another shutout in goal for the Redskins, who also played in the State Finals in 2007.
Senior Isaac Huerta, who set a single-season school record with 26 goals this season for the Redskins, was named as the Mental Attitude Award Winner by the IHSAA.
The Redskins outshot the Braves 6-5 in Saturday’s win.
Goshen, coached by 11th-year mention Mounsithiraj, finishes its season 20-2-1. The Redskins were the Northern Lakes Conference champions this fall.
The Redskins are also the first soccer team, boys or girls, from either the NLC or Elkhart County to win a state championship.
No. 11 Brebeuf, which beat the No. 2, 3 and 5 ranked teams in the postseason, concludes its year at 19-5.