Brandywine tops Dowagiac for Lakeland title; Bucks fit to be tied

Published 10:09 am Thursday, October 5, 2023

By Scott Novak

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DOWAGIAC — Two teams went into Wednesday night’s final Lakeland Conference matches with a chance to win a soccer championship.

Brandywine and Buchanan were both 3-1-1 heading into their matches against Dowagiac and Berrien Springs, respectively.

When the final whistles blew, the Bobcats had defeated the Chieftains 3-1 to claim the conference title, while the Bucks had to settle for a 3-3 draw with the Shamrocks.

The two matches ended in very different fashions.

While Brandywine grabbed a 1-0 halftime lead and then outscored the host Chieftains 2-1 in the final 40 minutes, Buchanan looked to be in charge of its match with Berrien Springs until the final 10 minutes in the second half.

 

Brandywine at Dowagiac

The Bobcats took a 1-0 halftime lead on a goal by Luis Sanchez off an assist from Hunter Inman.

In the second half, Kyler Marshall finished on a shot by Pedro Segundo, while Emmanuel Mendoza scored the third and final goal for Brandywine.

The Chieftains’ lone goal was scored on a penalty kick.

“In a very tough conference,” Brandywine Coach Caleb Adams said. “I think every team has beat every other team. Brandywine has been able to stay healthy enough to put a very tough team on the field. We won our games by out-hustling our opponents and playing our game. Our fitness and keeping our heads in the game were keys to our success. We win together!”

 

Berrien Springs at Buchanan

The Bucks led 2-0 in the opening half on goals by Britain Nate Hollingsworth and Britain Philip.

Berrien Springs cut the Buchanan lead to 2-1 by halftime, but found itself trailing 3-1 on a goal by Philip.

The Shamrocks came storming back in the final 10 minutes with a pair of goals to tie the match. The second goal came with just 43 seconds remaining when a controversial call gave Berrien Springs and indirect kick.

The Shamrocks were able to get the equalizer to make it 3-3. Neither team was able to get a scoring opportunity in the final 43 ticks.

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