Boys soccer: Vernon Hills falls short in OT

A trip to state required the Vernon Hills and Chicago Latin boys soccer teams going the distance and then some in the Class 2A Grayslake North supersectional.

Latin prevailed 3-2 in double overtime on Tuesday night.

The Romans (23-3) will be making their first state appearance when they play Benet Academy in the state semifinals at 3 p.m. Friday at Hoffman Estates High School.

Vernon Hills ended its season at 15-9.

"You can't ask for a better group of seniors," Cougars coach Mike McCaulou said. "Obviously, there's disappointment (with the loss). I thought we came out a little flat. It was one of the first times we came out a little lackluster and had a little less energy than we normally had."

Latin took the lead in the fifth minute, as John Schuler scored his 20th goal of the season, but Vernon Hills responded five minutes later. After a foul in the penalty area, Chris White converted a penalty kick.

Latin's Reis Herman made it 2-1 with a backdoor goal in the 43rd minute after taking a flick cross from Nathan Wiggin.

In the final minutes, Vernon Hills was still pushing for the tying goal. White sent a cross that Matt Gramins got a leg on and put the ball into the back of the net in the 74th minute.

"It was a short hop and I poked it in with my foot," Gramins said. "We always push. We showed a lot heart and moved the ball well."

In the overtime, Vernon Hills thought it had taken the lead in the final seconds of the first 10-minute session. But the goal was waved off for offsides.

Then in the 94th minute, on a kick from near the corner, Jonah Shenk curled a kick through a few players and got the ball past the goal line for the winning goal.

"It was a never-give-up game and we faced some adversity," Latin coach Tom Bower said. "We just kept fighting. It was a heck of a team we played against. Vernon Hills was tough."