The Lakeland soccer team played host to the Terra State Titans today and came away with a 2-1 victory in OCCAC play. The two teams squared off about 10 days ago and in that match the Lakers let a lead slip away and settled for a tie. Today, the Lakers jumped on the board first scoring a goal at 32:09. On the goal, Blais Gosse took the ball down the right side of the field before sending a pass across the front of the net to Antonio Bistak who ripped it past the keeper. Lakeland was playing a strong possession game and the Titans would look to counter at any opportunity. With 16:00 to play in the half, the Titans took advantage of a Lakleand mistake and tied the game at 1. The score held going into the break.
Early in the second half, the Lakers would regain the lead as Abram Gutierrez collected a loose ball amongst Titan defenders about 15 yards out. Gutierrez would gain possession and then rifle a shot into the right side of the net for a 2-1 Laker lead. The Lakeland team then put on a possession clinic for the remainder of the game. The Lakers would consistently work wide and then regroup while possessing the ball for most of the rest of the game in the offensive end. Rarely were the Titans able to get an offensive threat going in the second half, but when one started, the Lakers most always were right there to break up the play and reclaim the ball. The Titans best opportunity came with about 8 minutes to play as the Titans forward came down the right side and fired a low hard shot to the left of Laker goalie, Dominik Bruketa. Bruketa quickly made a diving stop to thwart the opportunity and the Titans did not threaten again.
Lakeland outshot Terra State 12-4.
Coach Torres Talks: "I was pleased with the strong start. After playing to a tie last week, it was also good to get the win today. We did a great job playing possession throughout the match. With a young group this year, this game was an important step in helping us learn to manage the game better. We'll get back to work now and focus on preparing for Thursday."
Next Up: The Lakers will host Owens Community College on Thursday (10/9) at 1:00 pm.
