An OT winner for Shadrick, Lake Zurich
One chip shot, one golden goal.
It all stemmed from leg of Scott Shadrick, who scored the game-winning goal and then was surrounded by thrilled teammates in the aftermath of sudden victory.
Shadrick lifted No. 14 seed Lake Zurich to victory in a 10th Annual Pepsi Showdown tournament opener over No. 19 seed Plainfield East 1-0 in double overtime in Lyons on Saturday afternoon.
Shadrick’s goal came from atop the penalty area. He dropped dropped it in under the crossbar for his first-ever varsity goal in the 97th minute.
“I’m very excited about it,” said Shadrick, a sophomore. “It came back to me and I trapped the ball with my chest. I didn’t see many players coming at me with pressure. I just wanted to make contact.
“Once I saw it going on frame, I thought I had the goal — and all the excitement happened.”
Earlier in the game, Shadrick had a similar situation and sent an attempt well over the bar. But he had a second chance and made it count.
“The coaches were telling us to keep our composure while taking the shots,” Shadrick said. “I was focusing like it was practice and finished it.”
The Bears (5-3-1) kept up possession and pressure up throughout the match. Bengals keeper Isaias Marquez made 11 stops in keeping the Bears off the board.
“It’s exciting when you win with a golden goal,” Lake Zurich coach Michael Schmitz said. “Exciting for one team — and not so exciting for the other. It was a good battle and both teams played hard.
“We certainly feel like we had our chances that we didn’t capitalize on. We just kept working, working, working until we got one. It just took us 97 minutes to get one.”
Lake Zurich keeper Mike Savio earned the clean sheet with 4 saves against Plainfield East (1-2-5).
The Bears lost one an all-sectional defender, Dan Ross, to a concussion in the 79th minute.
“Our team misses a guy like that,” Schmitz said. “It just gave a chance for someone else to step up. I thought the others did that and helped out.”
Lake Zurich advances to meet third-seeded Huntley on Tuesday night in the tournament’s Round of 16.
Ÿ Warren earned a No. 2 tourney seed, and the Blue Devils showed they deserved it with a 3-0 victory over No. 31 Niles West in its opening-round game in Lyons.
Rafa Macias, Elijah Parker and Mikey Cain each contributed goals.
Warren started quickly, getting a pair of goals within the game’s first eight minutes.
“It’s great to get up early,” Warren coach Jason Ahonen. “(Niles West has) been playing well and I’ve heard nothing but positive things about them.
“I wasn’t surprised to get 2 quick goals, but things happen in high school.”
Warren (4-1-2) started its scoring with Macias taking a cross from Nick Haas.
“It was a perfect cross and it was right where I was at,” Macias said. “I was able to finish it with a good run to hustle for it. We’re just trying to keep the tempo up.”
Parker followed up with a free kick from 40 yards that skipped into the goal just over a minute later for a 2-0 advantage.
The Blue Devils added an insurance goal in the 75th minute. Cain took a pass from Hector Salazar. Then, Cain broke free beyond midfield and beat Wolves keeper Carlos Lome (7 saves) on a breakaway.
RJ Hill picked up the shutout, making 6 stops.
Warren next hosts No. 15 seed Leyden (4-4-1) at 6 p.m. Tuesday in Gurnee.