Boys soccer: Round Lake wins the hard way against Carmel

Picking up a season-opening victory didn't come easy for Round Lake's boys soccer team.

The Panthers scored three unanswered goals and then held off Carmel Catholic 3-2 in opening-round action of the North Shore Shootout at Lake Forest on Tuesday. Antonio Fonseca led the Panthers with a pair of goals, Misael Tellez had the other one, and Christofer Gomez picked up an assist.

Carmel keeper Kyle Knauer saved 2 penalty kicks.

"We did have a slow start," Round Lake coach Hugo Tellez said. "I'm playing new formations and playing players in different positions. We did have our forwards pressing constantly. We were trying to get (Carmel) off rhythm."

Round Lake will match up with Lake Forest Academy in the semifinals at 4:30 p.m. Thursday. The Caxys got past Deerfield 2-1 in their matchup also in Lake Forest on Tuesday.

Carmel started out quickly, scoring just two minutes into the match. Austin Ehren made a run and dropped the ball for Henry Barnes, who finished for the goal.

"We did get that early goal," Carmel coach Ray Krawzak said. "I think Round Lake was winning more 50/50 balls and they were getting the ball to places. We just weren't connecting the passes with possession."

The Panthers pulled their game together midway through the first half, tying the score in the 33rd minute. Gomez made a run from across the midfield and worked the ball inside the penalty area. He lost the ball off a Carmel defender, but Fonseca picked up the ball and found the back of the net.

Knauer stopped the first Round Lake PK in the 45th minute, diving to thwart Gomez and keep the score tied 1-1.

But Fonseca was left unmarked in the 54th minute in front of the goal after taking a pass from Ricardo Orozco and made the score 2-1.

"It's really hard to score when it's only you and the goalie," Fonseca said. "You can really get nervous about it. But I was able to score."

Tellez added an insurance goal in the 60th minute on a kick from 35 yards out. It was big for the Panthers because Carmel's Sean Seidl scored a minute later after taking a pass from Ben Packer.

The Corsairs had the advantage of playing a man up for the last 11 minutes after a Round Lake player received his second yellow card. Carmel couldn't find the tying goal, however.

Knauer saved his second PK in the 77th minute and followed it up with another stop on the rebound.

Carmel plays Deerfield in its second-round game of the consolation bracket at 4:30 p.m. Thursday.