Lake Forest pulled off a dramatic upset against #2-ranked team, Loyola Academy, in a nail-biting overtime. Just a week earlier, Lake Forest held the top spot before a tough overtime loss against Glenbrook West, causing the Scouts to drop to #3.
The game was close from the start, with both teams going goal for goal early in the game. It was deadlocked 1-1 at the end of the first quarter, and the back-and-forth battle continued into halftime with the score 2-2.
The post halftime run put the Scouts in the right direction with two goals in the third, while holding the Ramblers scoreless. The tight game turned into a strong lead for Lake Forest and ensured they were in control for the final quarter.
In the fourth quarter, Loyola launched a comeback, scoring three goals to erase the Scouts two goal lead. Just when the game was nearing the end in the final minutes, sophomore Dante Federighi came up with a crucial goal of his own, assisted by senior captain Cole Pezza, to tie the game 5-5 and send the team into the four-minute overtime.
“Going to overtime, I was feeling very confident due to the fact that Quinn Acello was winning practically every faceoff,” junior captain Emmet Lee said.
Fans were at the edge of their seats as the whistle signaled the start of OT. The Scouts took the ball early until the Ramblers stole the ball back, creating multiple dangerous scoring opportunities yet blocked by senior captain and goalie Thomas Walsh, who came up with key stops to keep the Scouts in the game.
The two teams traded possessions in a tense back-and-forth battle until Loyola took the ball and was flagged for offsides, a crucial mistake that shifted the momentum back to the Scouts and allowed Lake Forest to take control of the game. The ball soon found its way to Lee, whose goal attempt was turned away, allowing Loyola to gain possession.
However, as the goalie prepared to clear the ball and restart the offense, Lee jumped in the passing lane, stripped possession, and ended it instantly, securing a dramatic 6-5 win in OT.
“As overtime started, I made a couple of mistakes that could’ve been very costly, but luckily our defense played awesome, and then I finally got an opportunity, and it was a great feeling. Seeing everyone happy made the moment way better, too,” Lee said.
