Lancers rally from 3-0 deficit to stun Falcons

By Darryl Mellema

Down 3-0 after 20 minutes and having been more or less completely dominated, thoughts of winning had to be pretty far from the front of most Lake Park boys soccer players' minds.

Yet one of the most incredible comebacks of this, or any season, led the Lancers to a jubilant post-match celebration after they indeed defeated Wheaton North 4-3 in Saturday's final match of the Lancer Soccer Classic.

"It definitely feels good," Lancer senior Elson Divinagracia said. "I don't think we should have been down like we were in the first half. But we started how we started and we came through in the end."

Divinagracia was responsible for the final two goals in the comeback. First his headed shot from a Tim Adelman cross completed the comeback and tied the match with nine minutes to play.

Then with just under five minutes left, Divinagracia dribbled past two defenders at the top of the penalty area and shot high inside the left post for the game-winner.

"The first one, the wind was picking up and the balls were floating in," Divinagracia said. "I made a run to the far post because I knew balls were going that way.

"I beat my defender and I headed it far post. We were all pretty pumped up at that tying goal. I saw a defender I could beat and I went for it."

The opening 20 minutes were a nightmare for Lake Park (5-1-1) as the Falcons raced to their 3-0 lead. Sam Klatt scored two goals while Jacques Ntahoturi got the other.

"We weren't prepared to play," Lake Park coach Norm Hillner said. "We didn't warm up well and Wheaton North, every time we've played them in the 31 years I have played them, has given us a dogfight.

"I'm not sure what our record or what their record is, it's always a good game. I don't know what our guys thought. But we were definitely off in the first half."

The Lancers had chances while the Falcons built their lead. Divinagracia had one solid effort saved, but overall, the chances heavily favored Wheaton North.

"I had that open shot in the first half and I feel I should have finished that," Divinagracia said. "We just got off to a shaky start, like we usually do. We need a better warm-up and we need to focus a little more."

But the comeback didn't take shape until Justin Castella hit a shot that caromed off a Wheaton North defender and then into the Falcons net with 1:09 left in the half.

"That first goal, right before the half, was huge," Hillner said.

The comeback then achieved full momentum 20 seconds into the second half. From the kickoff, the Lancers moved straight into the Falcons penalty area and a Tim Adelman effort fell to Joe Passarelli who scored at the right post.

"At halftime, we were saying that we couldn't play any worse than we did," Hillner said. "We're a pretty good team and we can come back and do it. We had a nice second half."

Adelman was one of the Lancers, along with Chris Mash, who helped drive the comeback.

"He's a junior who played a lot for us last year," Hillner said. "He's a high motor kid. He's talented. But yet he's always kind of overlooked and goes a little unheralded.

"But he's a tough kid, like Chris Mash, who gets in there, wins a head ball or a 50-50 ball and helps make things change."

Hillner said he hoped his team learned some things from Saturday's experience.

"We play a tough schedule and we play in a tough conference," Hillner said. "Whether it's Waubonsie (Valley), Neuqua Valley or one of the St. Charles teams, if we fall behind 3-0, we will be in trouble.

"If we want to be a really good team and if we want to beat really good teams, we can't do that."