Lincoln-Way East picking up steam

Updated: October 26, 2011 7:23PM

Lincoln-Way East certainly picked a good time to get hot.

After coach Brian Papa was dismissed in late September, the Griffins went 0-3-1 to limp to the end of the regular season at 6-10-5. Thanks to East’s first three-game win streak of the season, the Griffins will take on Stagg on Saturday for the Class 3A Andrew Sectional championship.

Interim coach Ryan Decker has a new mentality brewing at East in perfect time for playoffs.

“We’re inching toward .500,” Decker jokingly said after East knocked off Eisenhower 1-0 in Tuesday’s sectional semifinal. “If you asked anyone before the playoffs, I’m sure no one had us getting here.

“The mentality has changed. The kids are starting to believe they can win.”

Seeded ninth in the sectional, East certainly is making each game interesting. The Griffins knocked off No. 8 seed Thornton co-op in two overtimes, defeated No. 17 seed Providence 2-1 for the regional championship and used a goal with 6.2 seconds left in the game to beat No. 4 seed Eisenhower in the sectional semifinals.

Beware of Michael Roth’s leg. At any point and from any distance on the field Roth can find the back of the net or a fellow East teammate. From 56 yards out, Roth blasted in the game winner in the second overtime vs. Thornton co-op.

Eisenhower made the mistake getting a yellow card with 16.6 seconds left when a player interfered with a free kick from 65 yards out. Had the card not occurred, Roth and the Griffins would not have been able to get set and time may have run out.

Instead, Roth sent a beautiful ball to the box, Logan Murphy and Josh Lavin kept the ball in the air and the ball landed at the feet of William Will, who sent the ball into the net with 6.2 seconds left.

When Roth isn’t taking shots, captains John Ulrich and Anthony Cetera are creating. Ulrich had two goals against Thornton and Cetera had one vs. Providence.

No. 2 seed Stagg (18-2-2) is big, fast, strong, well-coached, and has won all three playoff games without two-time All-Stater Greg Healy, who got hurt in the final game of the regular season.

There’s an outside chance Healy returns for Saturday’s encounter, but even without him, the Chargers are tough.

Watching Tony Estrada (1 playoff goal) and Roberto Torres (3 playoff goals) handle the ball can make one dizzy. On defense, Casey Morf (1 playoff goal) seems to win every jump ball and Mike Rusnak allows very little to get by him.

What Morf and Rusnak let by them, goalie Erick Estrada (0.92 goals-against average for the season) usually stops.

Although Stagg is seeded higher than East, the Chargers have run into better competition. After knocking off Oak Lawn 2-1, the Chargers defeated No. 7 seed Marist 3-2 and No. 3 seed Lincoln-Way Central 2-0. A problem for the Chargers is the unknown.

“We don’t really know much about East,” Stagg coach Mike Kealy said. “They are solid on defense. Even though we’re both in the SouthWest Suburban, we haven’t seen each other this year.”

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