Tipp earns big win over Alter

Some games, you just mark on the calendar when the schedule is released because it means that much. Last week was one for the Tipp boys soccer team.

The Alter Knights came to town for a big Thursday night game. After falling behind quickly in the game, the Red Devils regained their composure. They earned a tough 3-1 victory over the Knights to gain additional momentum heading into the second half of the season. 

For the last decade, Tipp and Alter would meet in a non-conference battle that would be epic as the two powerful programs would make deep tournament runs. The Red Devils will take this win and move forward, focusing on some big conference games ahead as they look to challenge for the league title.

“That team hadn’t lost since August 15, which was their first game, they were on a roll,” Tipp coach Joel Slyman said. “They scored early, and our guys haven’t faced a lot of adversity this year. Tonight our work rate was incredible.”

“The momentum swung when we got that goal before half from Mason Mader who was outstanding tonight. We needed him tonight and he delivered tonight as a freshman.”

Alter scored eight minutes into the game to take a quick 1-0 lead, but Tipp battled back. At the 19:41 mark of the first half, Kaleb Logan found the back of the net off the assist from Cameron Smith to tie the game at 1-1.

“We haven’t been battle tested in a while, and their goal woke us up a little bit,” Slyman said. “They know it’s Alter, but when you get scored on early, it’s time to wake up, and they did that.”

Then as the time wound down at the half, it was Mader who took a ricochet shot off the crossbar after a miss and put it into the corner of the net with two seconds left, with the assist from Smith to give Tipp the 2-1 lead at the break.

“That goal can put a doubt into the opponent where you go from tied to down one,” Slyman said. “As a mindset for teenagers, that’s a big step. For us, we had the lead and knew we were the better team in the first half, and it showed in the second half.”

Holding onto the slim lead, goalie Cole Venters made two huge diving saves in the second half to keep Tipp in the lead.

“He was outstanding and delivered tonight,” Slyman said. “He was clutch and is only a sophomore. He is only getting better.”

Mader gave Tipp a cushion with another goal with 5:57 left in the game to ice the win for Tipp.

“What a game for him,” Slyman said. “He played the entire second half, and that is what we needed from him.”

*Tipp used goals from Brayden Kocher, Maddox Robinson, and Owen Vonderheide to defeat Chaminade Julienne 3-0 on Saturday.