Down 2-0, Marmion fights back to defeat Lakes

Knowing that another date with Wheaton Academy was looming with a victory, the Marmion boys soccer team promptly took an initial punch to the gut in Wednesday's Class 2A Hampshire sectional semifinal as the Eagles soared to a 2-0 lead in the match's opening 13 minutes.

Perhaps a rematch with Wheaton Academy, the last team to defeat Marmion, wasn't in the cards.

But this isn't an ordinary soccer team, and with four senior captains and a handful of freshmen and sophomores who play like experienced veterans, the Cadets roared all the way back to defeat Lakes, 4-3.

Marmion (20-5-1) will face Wheaton Academy, which beat the Cadets 5-4 on Sept. 21, for the sectional championship at 4 p.m Saturday.

Marmion ultimately secured its fate with 1:31 remaining when senior Max Rosenfelder converted a tough shot.

"I was just going down and saw him in front of me so I cut it back," Rosenfelder said. "I figured I'd try to put a shot in and it was a difficult angle and slippery out there. It just found the net. A little bit of luck but I'll take it."

The right-footed Rosenfelder booted the game-winner with his left foot, which also left Lakes stunned.

"It took an extraordinary shot to win the game," Lakes coach Kevin Kullby said.

Marmion coach Kevin O'Connor agreed.

"What I was proud to see was that he was willing to use his non-dominant foot because that's what the keeper gave him," he said. "That's the kind of player Max is and he made that decision in a split second."

The winning score came a little more than 10 minutes after the Cadets had made it 3-all at the 71st minute on Steve Anderson's header goal from Rosenfelder's corner kick.

"Me and Max have played together for awhile and know to look for each other," Anderson said. "I just went behind Tommy Cruger and dropped and saw it in the corner and it just happened to go in."

Lakes (11-7-6) had taken a 3-2 lead in the 60th minute on senior Steven Korosis' goal. It was certainly what the Eagles needed after seeing their early lead dissipate and with the Cadets controlling the ball and hence controlling the game.

"When we did get the third goal to go up, you tell players you have to always protect and cover," Kullby said. "But we got stretched out and they were able to break out of it."

Joel De Grave helped Lakes get off to the great start by netting a rebound goal in the 8th minute. The Eagles produced their second goal in the opening half when Jonathan Stanley was able to corral a loose ball and blast it past goalkeeper Evan Lefelstein.

The Cadets slowly recovered. Sam Duffield set up Rosenfelder for a score in the 22nd minute and Mike Frasca made it 2-all with less than 4 minutes before intermission.