Lyons, Neuqua Valley play to tie

Updated: March 22, 2011 4:24PM

In a contentious rematch of a Class 3A supersectional from last year,

Mark Pawula's goal with 45 seconds remaining completed second-half

comeback to earn host No. 3 Lyons a 2-2 tie Saturday with No. 1 Neuqua

Valley in a game that featured seven cards, a sending off and one

disallowed goal.

Pawula headed in Elliot Borge's flick across the face of the goal in

that last minute as the Lions (2-0-1) rallied from a 2-0 halftime

deficit.

‘‘Being a junior and being able to come off the bench to tie the game

against the best team in the state is amazing,'' Pawula said. ‘‘I just

wanted to make a difference.''

Lyons had been reduced to 10 men less than five minutes earlier when

Kyle Kurfirst was given a red card with 5:16 to play.

It was the fifth card in the second half in a rematch of a

supersectional last year in which Lyons handed the Warriors their only

loss of the season on their way to winning the state championship.

‘‘This was brutal game, no question. There were a lot of hits, both

ways,'' Neuqua Valley forward and Indiana-recruit Patrick Doody said.

‘‘If this was the first time we had ever played each other there would

have been a lot more soccer played. But because of the rivalry we've

got going, the soccer is going to be bypassed a little bit and the

more physical part of the game is going to come out. But that's how it

is.''

Sophomore Ben Larson started the comeback for Lyons seven minutes into

the second half when headed in a cross from Horacio Sanchez.

The goal came less than two minutes after a 10-minute delay caused by

the referee's decision to disallow an overhead, bicycle-kick goal by

Kurfirst that would have pulled Lyons within 2-1. Neuqua Valley had

apparently not put on a player after Will Butler was substituted

following a yellow card, and the referee decided to wipe out the goal

and pull play back to the free kick.

‘‘The call went against [Lyons] but it certainly served a purpose for

them,'' Neuqua Valley coach Tony Kees said. ‘‘They had all the

momentum after that. Even after they had only 10 players, the were

still taking the play to us.''

Butler scored twice in just over two minutes in the first half to give

Neuqua Valley (1-0-1) the lead against he run of play and his second

goal with 22:18 to play before halftime was the Wildcats' last shot on

goal for the game.

"We didn't have many bright spots today, but [Butler] was one of them

and he was rewarded for his hard work,'' Kees said. ‘‘If we can get

everyone to bring the effort he did, we'll be a force to be reckoned

with.''

Hunter Hollingshead (10 saves) made eight stops in the second half and

charged out of his net smartly on several occasions for Neuqua Valley.

Kevin Beglen had two saves for Lyons.

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