The Lehman boys soccer team in its first post-season game this year went to Manor and came back with a 3-2 win.
The game was a rematch from an earlier season game in which Lehman defeated Manor 1-0 in a nail-biter to claim third place in the Rebel Cup.
The outcome this time was decided by a penalty kick. Both squads found holes in the opposing team’s defense and took advantage of weaknesses. But, in the end, Lehman’s Diego Garcia got fouled in the penalty area to set up Eli Guajardo’s successful penalty kick that gave the Lobos their victory.
Up next for the Lobos, another rematch from this season, a matchup against Austin Reagan High School, that ended in a 1-1 tie in the Rebel Cup earlier this year. The game will take place Thursday at 6 p.m. at Nelson Field in Austin.
The tone of the Monday’s playoff game was set from the start when freshman Garcia attacked the box in the fifth minute of the match and took a hard fall. Anticipating a foul call, Garcia was surprised when the official reached for a yellow card and signaled the freshman for diving. With that, the momentum shifted and the Mustangs went on the attack, challenging the Lehman defense and using every opportunity to keep Lehman goalkeeper Mikey Torres on his toes.
The Mustangs struck first when, after a throw-in on their side of the field, a Manor player caught the Lobo defense off-guard with a left-footed strike that found the upper corner of the goal. Just like that, the Lobos were in a very unfamiliar position – behind. However, the Lobos did not take long to respond, and less than a minute later Garcia found a teammate breaking through the middle of the Manor backline. Senior Eli Guajardo carried the ball into the right side of the box and pulled the goalie out just enough to chip a perfectly placed shot over him and into the goal.
The 1-1 score remained until early in the second half, when Manor again found the back of the net with a shot from the corner of the penalty box to take the lead 2-1. The Lobos were not used to playing from behind this year. As the game reached the final 20 minutes and with Lehman still looking for a goal, Garcia again sparked the offense as he dribbled up the left side and crossed the ball to junior Fabian Mantilla, who had an open net to tap the ball in and give the Lobos their equalizer 2-2.
Garcia, who was the catalyst all night for Lehman offensively, continued to give the Manor defense all it could handle. He finally broke free for a breakaway opportunity with 15 minutes to go, and this time the Mustang defenseman could not help but foul him inside the penalty box to give the Lobos a penalty kick. Senior Eli Guajardo got the call, and he stepped up and nailed the shot past the outstretched hands of the Manor keeper. Now, the Lobos just needed to hang on defensively to secure a seat in the next round. The defense clamped down when it needed to, and Lehman earned a 3-2 victory in front of a large contingent of both Mustang and Lobo fans.
