PLYMOUTH, Wis. – Milwaukee School of Engineering scored the go-ahead goal in the 62nd minute and the Lakeland University men's soccer team was edged by a 3-2 score in a Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference match Wednesday night at John Taylor Memorial Field.
The Raiders scored less than two minutes after the Muskies had tied the match and went on to win the battle for second place in the NACC standings. MSOE improved to 6-1-2 in conference (7-4-3 overall) while Lakeland slipped back to fourth at 5-2-2 in league play (11-3-2 overall).
Lakeland had just tied the match in the 60th minute on a lightning-quick length of the field play. A long pass ahead by defender
Cris Maschio (
Sr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) went to a mass of players in the middle in front of the 18-yard box, to
Isai Gil (
Jr.-Beaumont, Calif.) who redirected to
Woodlens Frederic (
Fr.-Green Bay, Wis.), whose left-footed shot scored just inside the left post to knot the score at 2-2. The goal was Frederic's seventh of the season, and Gil set a new Lakeland single-season record for assists with his eighth assist.
MSOE came back shortly after, advancing the ball up the field and then from right to left. Nate Gendrich then passed to Lachlan Ladd, who scored from a sharp angle on the left side for his second goal of the match and a 3-2 Raiders lead.
A fiercely contested match included two ties, eight yellow cards, a red card and opportunities both ways throughout. The Raiders had an edge in possession and posted a 12-4 advantage in shot attempts, but the lead in shots on goal was just 5-3 and the Muskies had their share of quality opportunities.
Lakeland also led for the majority of the first half, taking the lead just over 12 minutes into the match. The right-footed
Aaron Cortez (
Fr.-Sheboygan, Wis.) struck a perfect corner kick from the left corner that bended all the way back and just inside the right post for a goal, his third of the season and a 1-0 lead.
MSOE outshot Lakeland 8-1 in the first half and controlled possession as the first half went on, but the Muskies were in position to go into halftime with the lead until a strange play in the final two minutes. The Raiders were deep in their offensive end when the assistant referee's flag went up on the far side of the field, just before an MSOE cross into the box. Play was allowed to continue despite the flag up, and Ladd's shot was deflected off the leg of a Muskies defender and went into the goal, and the goal was counted to tie the score at 1-1 with 1:46 left in the half.
Lakeland also played the final 5:38 down a man, after a red card after second goalkeeper
Jeremiah Reynolds (
So.-Huntley, Ill.) handled the ball outside the 18-yard box. The Muskies still had opportunities in the final minutes, including a pair of corner kicks, one which resulted in a header on target by
Jordan Davis-Troller (
Sr.-Cottage Grove, Wis.) that was deflected away with a dive by MSOE goalkeeper Christian Dershem.
The save was Dershem's only of the match.
Ali Faiad (
Fr.-Alexandria, Egypt) made two saves for Lakeland.
The Muskies are home again Saturday when they face Dominican University at 1 p.m. at Taylor Field.
