By Kelly Mrofcza
He cleared his mind of everything that did not relate to the soccer game. The team’s goalie, Zorohn Reed, Div. 285, knew that the pressure was on him. Everything that he and the rest of his varsity team worked for led up to that one moment in the City Championships. They were not going to end the season without putting up a good fight.
On Saturday, Oct. 15, Lane played against Mather once again, but this time for the City championship at the University of Chicago. When Lane first played Mather this year, they lost 4-0. The chance for revenge in a rematch, especially for City, served as a great motivator for the team.
Disappointment came early, however, when mather scored a goal in the first half. Still, the game was far from out of reach.
“I was still in the game and so was my team,” said Oscar Enriquez, Div. 256. “We knew we still had 40 minutes left of the second half to tie it.”
Unfortunately for Lane, however, 40 minutes was not enough as they were unable to score any goals against a stingy Mather defense. The game ended with a final score of 1-0.
“I seriously thought we were going to at least tie the game,” said Enriquez, who pointed out that Lane’s forwards and midfielders had many opportunities to score during the game.
“I’m more mad than disappointed because that game was ours, we just couldn’t get the goal,” said Maciek Skutnik, Div. 350. “I know that if we scored once, more [scores] would follow.”
The sound of the referee’s whistle ending the game sounded the alarm ending the team’s season. Tears were shed and heads hung low, but the boys soon realized that they had put up a good fight. Reflecting on the season, several players were quick to give credit to their coaches.
“Coach Ricks and Coach Acosta motivated us and trained us very, very well for the final,” Enriquez said.
Reed agreed and said that his goalie coach, Mrs. Vale-Suarez, was there to remind him to play smart and not to get frustrated about things that did not go his way.
The team’s failure to win the game did not kill the enthusisam of their fans. Despite the distance and the cold, a large number of Lane students carpooled to the south side of the city to support the soccer team.
“I was pretty cold, but jumping up and down and cheering with my friends for the soccer team helped me forget about that,” said Edwin Mijares, Div. 259.
Of course the fans were disappointed in the final score, but many were proud of the team’s performance.
Though the season has officially ended for the team and seniors say farewell to their Lane soccer careers, the underclassmen are already looking forward to next year. According to Skutnik, the team is definitely taking the City Championship title next year.
