Heavy is the head that wears the crown.
That’s a truism the Lakeridge boys soccer team has learned in spades this year.
The Pacers, the 2023 Class 6A state champions , got another taste of it on Tuesday, Oct. 1, when they had to rally past winless Reynolds 3-2 at Reynolds High School.
The quotes, the standings
“They wanted it today,” admitted Lakeridge senior defender and team captain Westley Watts, who scored the first goal in the Pacers’ win. “It was a good game, but I think we need to stay a little more disciplined, especially positionally. We can't let in easy chances and we've really got to keep the momentum going and get a few more in the back of the net.”
“I think it's definitely ingrained in our culture to show a lot of grit,” said Pacer junior defender Lucas Waarvick. “We were a little unbalanced at times, but overall, I think we are starting to really come together as a unit.”
With the win, the second-ranked Pacers ’ seventh straight, Lakeridge improved to 7-1-0 overall. Next up, the Pacers will host David Douglas at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 3.
Unranked Reynolds, meanwhile, lost for the seventh straight time and fell to 0-7-0 overall. Next up, the Raiders will open Mt. Hood Conference play when they host Clackamas at 4 p.m. Monday, Oct. 7.
“Our defense actually held up pretty good today and we scored more goals than we have this season so I think we played pretty good all together,” said Reynolds junior forward/midfielder and team captain Caiden Jewett.
“We played good against the number one team in the state, the champs from last year,” added Raider junior midfielder Alex Escamilla, who scored both Reynolds’ goals on Tuesday. “And they're number one right now, too.”
The plays
While the Raiders pushed the Pacers throughout their match, Lakeridge started quickly, with Watts following up an early shot by freshman teammate Jackson Romero and tapping it home past Reynolds freshman goalkeeper Aaron Maciel Bolanos for a 1-0 lead.
While neither team scored in the remaining minutes of the first half, the Raiders held their own, their best scoring chance a dangerous half volley from sophomore Gio Correra Lazaro that missed just left of the Pacers’ open goal 17 minutes into the contest.
Reynolds then knotted the score at 1-1 when Escamilla was fouled early in the second half and converted the ensuing penalty kick to the right corner of the Lakeridge goal.
Undeterred, the Pacers came back to take a 2-1 lead junior forward Xavi Sandino-Taylor volleyed a shot past Maciel Bolanos following a Lakeridge throw-in 10 minutes into the half.
Reynolds wasn’t done, however. Indeed, the Raiders got even at 2-2 when Escamilla drove a long free kick over the head of Lakeridge sophomore keeper Colin Cernitz with 25 minutes remaining in the contest.
The Pacers dominated down the home stretch, however, with Reynolds managing just two shots (one on goal) in the remaining minutes, while Lakeridge got the game-winner when the Raiders were whistled for a handball and junior defender Dominic Lemuz converted the ensuing penalty kick for the final 3-2 margin.
“We need to try to see if we can win games early,” Watts said. “A lot of the times, we're waiting to the very end and getting that last chance and that's what's winning games for us. I think we need to … control the game for the whole game instead of just part of it.”
“A lot of our final results have been kind of scrummy,” Waarvick agreed. “We're just taking our chances near the end, but I think we are definitely a force to be reckoned with for sure.”
On their side of the field, the Raiders left convinced that they will break through and compete in the Mt. Hood Conference.
“It started last game when we played Beaverton,” Escamilla said. “When we played them, they were number one in the state and we lost just 1-0 on an unlucky goal.”
“We held up pretty good against number one in the state … so I'm proud of that,” Jewett said.
Local News
Comments / 0