After Morton gave up the tying goal late in its Pepsi Showdown quarterfinal against St. Charles North on Saturday, the No. 5 Mustangs didn’t put their heads down in overtime.
They attacked.
Morton senior midfielder Jesus Morales scored with 7 minutes, 56 seconds left in overtime to clinch a 2-1 win over the No. 8 North Stars (6-3) at Lyons Soccer Complex. The Mustangs earned a berth in next Saturday’s semifinal against No. 4 Libertyville, which advanced with a 2-0 win against Lake Zurich.
“During the intermission (before overtime) everyone on the bench just kept saying, ‘You can still win this game,’ ” said Morales, whose goal was his fourth of the year. “That’s probably the most excited I’ve been after a goal.”
Brian Tapia’s goal midway through the first half put Morton (7-1) ahead 1-0, which held up for the next 57-plus minutes.
An own goal that was tipped by Mustangs defender Joel Leon tied the game with 2:13 left in regulation. The ball got into the box on a long pass ahead by St. Charles North’s Justin Stanko that put the Morton defense on its heels.
The Mustangs, who have won seven in a row, were without their top scorer, senior forward Joel Salmeron, for the first six games after he injured the MCL in his left knee. He has played a few minutes in the last two contests.
“When he got injured, we told each other that everyone else just had to work harder,” Tapia said. “The way we’ve played without him only gives us more confidence.”
In its quarterfinal win, Libertyville (7-1) got first-half goals from seniors Shane Reilly and Marshall Hollingsworth. Goalie Zach Labrum recorded his fifth shutout.
“We were a little slow early on, but found a way to get a couple into the back of the net,” Labrum said. “They came at us tough in the second half, but we moved five into the back, instead of our usual four, so we were able to take their pressure and send it back their way.”
Player of the match:
Jesus Morales, Morton, game-winning goal in overtime.
Key performers:
Brian Tapia, Morton, goal.
