Late goal ends Lake Oswego season as Lakeridge advances to semifinals
Lakeridge defeated rival Lake Oswego 1-0 in the 74th minute to secure a spot in the state final four.
By Tyler Khalil ·
Lakeridge High School boys soccer team defeated Lake Oswego 1-0 in the 74th minute to advance to the Class 6A state semifinals. The goal came with six minutes remaining in the second half of a quarterfinal matchup played at Lakeridge on Saturday, Nov. 7. The result ended Lake Oswego's season and extended Lakeridge's winning streak to nine consecutive games.
The score stayed at 0-0 for the majority of the match. Lake Oswego created a notable chance late in the first half when sophomore Calder Hughes entered the penalty box. His short-range shot was saved by Lakeridge senior goalkeeper Collin Cernitz. The second half saw increased intensity from both sides, but no goals were scored until the final minutes.
Lakeridge junior Leo Van Driesche initiated the scoring play with a give-and-go combination with junior Nate Pasek. Pasek returned the ball to Van Driesche, who crossed it to senior midfielder and forward Liam Kutella. Kutella tapped the ball past Lake Oswego goalkeeper Ben Robertson from six yards out to break the deadlock.
The victory moves Lakeridge to a 14-1-1 overall record. The team, which won the Three Rivers League, is ranked No. 4 in the state. Lake Oswego finished the season with an 11-5-1 record. The Lakers placed third in the Three Rivers League and saw their two-game winning streak end.
The game was the second playoff meeting between the two schools this season. The match featured physical play and yellow cards for both teams. At one point, officials paused the game to address the behavior of the student section, which had become boisterous.
Lakeridge faces No. 1 Jesuit in the semifinals at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10. Jesuit finished the regular season with a 14-1-1 record after winning the Metro League. For Lake Oswego, the loss marked the final game for 14 seniors, including Ben Robertson, Preston Reed, Miles Liu, Brody Smith, Caleb Dempsey, Jack Weber, Devin Wu, Calvin Beauchamp, Ranger Grubb, Riley Kilian, Evan Lincoln, Jaxzon Scarborough, and Jotaro Osada.
Junior forward Jackson Romero said the large crowd support helped the team. Senior Liam Kutella noted that coming away with a one-goal win against a rival is always competitive but meaningful. Both players cited the team's resilience in creating chances late in the game.
