Tipp falls short of MVL boys soccer title

When it comes down to a championship type of game, it all comes down to how well you execute on the field. Last week with the Miami Valley League championship on the line, the Red Devils could not get one past the Butler keeper, as they fell short to the Aviators 1-0 to hand the Troy Trojans the league title.

“At some point, you have to execute,” Tipp coach Joel Slyman said. “You can fight and work hard and battle all night long, if you can’t execute against a good team, that’s what happens.”

“Credit to Butler, they scored a goal and we didn’t. We didn’t capitalize. We were sleepy in the first half, second half we had some fight but it didn’t matter. You have to execute at a high level when you play good teams and tonight we did not have it.”

Tipp had a few chances in the first half, including a Wesley Mayer who was wide open and unleashed it over the uprights with 33:25 left in the opening half to keep the game scoreless.

Two minutes later, Eli Kettel nearly capitalized on his long throw in, but the Butler keeper Beckham Stewart scooped it up to stop a Tipp threat.

A great save from Tipp keeper Cole Venters also kept Butler off the scoreboard when he made a diving save off a shot from Heath Thompson.

Landon Rhoades ripped a shot from the corner that went wide for Tipp’s last shot on goal in the first half with 18:32 left.

Thompson scored the Butler goal at the 12:15 mark of the half when he found the net on a corner shot, giving the Aviators a 1-0 lead.

Slyman wasn’t certain why the offense was so stagnant in the opening half.

“I am still trying to figure that out,” he said. “You think guys would be up for a big game and a title game, but Butler definitely took it to us in the first half. I just think that we weren’t ready, it was disappointing for us in the first half in terms of effort.”

“The second half the effort was there, but we can’t win a district title, we can’t win a league title if we don’t execute.”

Tipp, the #3 seed, now heads into the postseason with an opening tournament game last night hosting #16 Piqua, and a win sends them into the second round of the sectionals this Saturday at 7pm against #17 West Carrollton (2-11-0). Should Tipp get through those games, they will play in the district semis on October 27 against either Bethel or Bellefontaine.