Lakeridge boys soccer escapes Wells challenge

Published 3:43 pm Wednesday, November 6, 2024

There are challenges when you’re No. 1.

Just ask the Lakeridge boys soccer team.

The top-ranked Pacers – also the reigning Class 6A state champions – saw Ida B. Wells cut their three-goal lead to one in their second-round state playoff game, but added a last-second score and walked off with a 4-2 victory at Lakeridge High School on Tuesday, Nov. 5.

“The first half was kind of frantic and we were losing the ball in the areas we shouldn’t,” said Lakeridge sophomore Pablo Spilk, who has helped the Lakeridge defense limit opponents to just 11 goals for the season. “In the second half, it was still a little frantic, but we managed to come back together and fight through.”

“There were definitely some nerves, but I had no doubt that we would pull through and get unified and seal the game,” said Pacer senior defender Lucas Waarvick.

“I think the first half was more soccer and the second half was who wants it more,” added Lakeridge senior Axel Eriksson, who scored the game-winning goal late in the first half. “People were just smashing the ball kind of trying to win it in the air and we just wanted it more.”

With the win, the top-ranked Pacers’ 15th straight, Lakeridge improved to 16-1 after winning the Three Rivers League. Next up, the Pacers will host No. 8 Grant in the state quarterfinals. The Generals (Grant carries a six-game winning streak and a 12-2-2 overall record after winning the Portland Interscholastic League) earned their spot in the quarterfinals with a 2-1 overtime win (4-3 PKs) over West Linn on Tuesday.

“We need to play better,” Waarvick said of the Pacers’ quarterfinal matchup.

We had kind of a scrappy game. It’s going to take cleaning up the little things, and once again, putting away the chances when you have them.”

“I think we can learn from this and come out really strong on Saturday,” Eriksson said. “We had a lot of defensive errors, but I think we’ll clean it up.”

“Even though we didn’t play our best game (vs. Wells), our ability to come through in the end and show our high level and pull together is what’s really key to winning the state title,” Spilk added.

No. 17 Ida B. Wells, meanwhile, saw its three-game winning streak snapped and ended its season with an 8-4-4 overall record after finishing fifth in the PIL.

The Pacers broke on top 19 minutes into Tuesday’s contest when junior Xavi Sandino-Taylor crossed the ball into the Guardians’ penalty box and senior Dominic Lemuz finished from short range for a 1-0 lead.

Wells very nearly tied the game three minutes later when junior Lucas Motsko banged a shot off the left post of the Lakeridge goal, but while that shot bounced away, the Pacers scored a minute later to lead 2-0.

There, Lemuz hit a shot from the top of the Wells penalty box that slipped through the hands of Wells senior keeper Jake Meurer and into the corner of the goal.

After a couple missed Pacer opportunities – Lemuz hit one off the post and sophomore Callum Morrison blooped a short shot that forced Meurer to make a leaping save – Eriksson broke through to make it 3-0. He chased down a deflected pass on the left side, then scored to the right corner of the Guardians’ goal with 3:27 remaining in the half.

“It’s rare that a center back is ever that high up the field just to get a chance,” Eriksson said. “To shoot is like a dream for a center back, so for it to go in, I was just so happy. It feels so good to score.”

The Guardians answered impressively in the second half, though, dominating possession for most of the final 40 minutes and getting back-to-back scores by junior Kaden To. On the first of those, he took a pass flicked over the defense and scored with 33:13 to play. And on the second, To scored from point-blank range following a throw-in from the left side of the field with 27:46 remaining.

But Lakeridge steadied itself down the stretch, began to possess the ball, cleaned up its back third, then got the last laugh when junior Elliot Schwartz converted with four seconds left on the clock for the final 4-2 margin.