Tipp soccer dominates Ponitz in opening round

Eight different players scored goals for the Tippecanoe girls soccer team as they opened the 2025 Division Three sectional tournament last week with a 9-0 rout of Ponitz. The Red Devils took advantage of the OHSAA tournament rule, where a game is stopped once a team has an eight goal advantage in the second half. This game was called at halftime with Tipp advancing to the second round.

The Red Devils scored five goals before ten minutes had elapsed in the half and never looked back. 

“Eight different goal scorers and it’s always nice moving the ball,” Tipp coach Brent Palmer said. “It wasn’t as challenging as we know it could have been, but it is always fun to come out and compete for the home fans.”

Tipp scored in the opening minute when Maryn Perrault found the net with just 38 seconds gone in the first half to give Tipp a very quick 1-0 lead.

Mady Turner added to the lead six minutes later when she scored the second goal of the game for the Red Devils, and less than a minute later, Julia Burgbacher placed one past the keeper for a 3-0 Tipp advantage.

Kenzie Curry ripped one in from 10 feet out untouched into the net, making it 4-0 at 31:49. Just over one minute later, it was another easy goal for Tipp as they used the foot of Paige Royse to make it 5-0 with 30:16 left until halftime.

The onslaught continued as Ellie Lukacs scored the first of her two goals in the game with 16:40 left. Chloe Jacobs made it 7-0 before Leilani Green added the eighth goal of the game for Tipp.

Lukacs scored again with seven minutes left and the game concluded at the half with the mercy rule in effect.

“We have been focused on Monday (vs CJ) for a while now. We knew it would be an opponent we would be seeing at that point,” Palmer said. “We have been very focused this week during our prep on what CJ is going to look like.”

One thing this team has to prove is their #6 seeding at the draw, and an honest disrespect it brings the program who had some very close competitive losses among the regions best teams. One goal losses to Northmont, Indian Hill and MVL foe Troy accounted for over half of their five losses and Palmer knows the girls want a chance to prove themselves.

“They certainly do have a chip on their shoulder, and if not I will wear it myself,” Palmer said. “To think there are five teams better than this team in the Miami Valley…..”

Tipp traveled to Chaminade Julienne on Monday night for their second round game, which you can read about next week in the Gazette. It occurred after the deadline.