Tough ending: Eagles fall in sectional final

The Lakes High School soccer players thought they had won the IHSA Class 2A Grayslake Central Sectional title on Saturday.

With 2 minutes to go in the fourth overtime of a 1-1 game against Marian Catholic, a corner kick was headed onto the crossbar and Lakes' Tom O'Brien tapped in the rebound.

Cue the celebrations.

But the excitement was short-lived. The goal was controversially disallowed for offside. Just minutes later, it would be the Hurricanes lifting the sectional trophy after winning 5-4 in a shootout.

"We thought the game was over (after the eventually disallowed goal). I had thrown my gloves off and was ready to go shake hands," Lakes head coach Kevin Kullby said. "But if we had finished any one of many chances ... We had every opportunity to win and we didn't."

The Eagles (16-8-1) did create numerous scoring opportunities throughout the contest, but Marian goalkeeper Nolan Picchietti was on top of his game, stopping several point-blank shots.

Lakes opened the scoring in the final minute of the first half, when Josh Oppenheim turned in a pass from Will Lebavitz. Marian restored parity 8 minutes into the second half on Tyler Lundquist's PK.

Sectional Semifinal: Kullby's team had no problem finding the net in the 7-0 win over Hampshire, when the goals came early and often. O'Brien scored the first of his 3 goals just 3 minutes into the game. Mark Polanin found the net 2 minutes later.

Steve Korosis, who assisted on the first 2 goals, did all the work himself on the third, dribbling past several Whipp-Purrs defenders and putting the ball into the net. Matt Beadle scored to make it 4-0 at the break.

Ryan Rudynski scored on an assist from Dan Walsh just after halftime, and O'Brien then struck twice more. His 3rd of the night, which came with 21:46 left in the contest, put the mercy rule into effect. The remaining time on the clock was cut in half.

"We were expecting a more competitive game, but we played as hard as we could and the outcome was 7-0," O'Brien said. "After the early goals, their confidence was down and we were moving the ball really well."

Season Recap: O'Brien finished as the team's leading goal scorer with 18 goals. Korosis has 14 goals and 12 assists. And Rudynski had 10 goals, 5 assists.

Goalkeeper Ben Goforth and Korosis shared Team MVP honors, while Beadle, Goforth, Korosis, O'Brien and Rudynski were NSC all-conference selections. Oppenheim and Polanin earned honorable mention all-conference honors.

"We played exciting soccer, real attacking soccer, scored some tremendous goals and had some great wins," Kullby said. "We also ended up playing some of the best teams in the state. We didn't beat those teams, but playing them made us tougher."

The Eagles lose the likes of Beadle, Rudynski, Oppenheim, Polanin and Dan Walsh. But a solid nucleus returns in Korosis, O'Brien, Goforth, Lebavitz and Nate McMahon.