Junior midfielder Lachlan Ladd was getting a little frustrated for Waubonsie Valley.
While Ladd understands soccer can be an unforgiving sport, he felt like he was doing everything right so far this season for the Warriors. He just hadn’t been able to score a goal.
At least, not yet anyway.
“I know I’m creating chances and helping facilitate the offense,” Ladd said, pointing out two keys he looks for every game. “I knew if I stuck with it, it would come eventually.”
That time came Thursday.
Ladd fired a shot that deflected off a defender and into the net with 1:51 left at Marmion. It evened the score 2-2, helping Waubonsie escape with a tie on Ladd’s first goal.
Amiel Nichani also scored and Abraham Tiburcio made 18 saves for the Warriors (2-0-1). Giovanni Magana and Jordan Peinado each scored goals for Marmion (1-0-2).
Ladd’s goal, meanwhile, was just what the doctor ordered.
“I just got some space and kept cutting in,” he said. “I had a side open and I just hit it. I got a lucky deflection and it went in.
“It just shows that if you don’t give up, you can come back from anything and get the result you want.”
Waubonsie coach Jose Garcia has been pleased with the way Ladd has played this year, but he also was relieved to see him finally get rewarded with a goal.
“I’m glad for Lachlan, who has been doing that all season but it just hasn’t been there,” Garcia said. “He’d miss just a little bit wide or hit it off a player. I’m glad he got that goal for us.
“I think it’s good for his confidence, too. When you play all these games and create all of this and you don’t get rewarded, it puts a damper on your confidence. Hopefully, that will pick him up a little bit. I want to get him going.”
Waubonsie got the scoring started with 32:25 left in the second half. Nichani raced to recover a ball played in from the midfield for the goal.
Marmion wasted little time responding. Magana had his own shot deflect off a defender to quickly force a 1-1 tie at 31:17. It was the second straight game Magana scored.
Peinado then picked up the go-ahead goal for the Cadets with 18:17 left. But much like their last game, a 2-2 tie against Romeoville, they coughed up a late lead.
“We had more than enough chances to win the game,” Marmion coach Gerardo Alvarez said. “Unfortunately, we didn’t finish. We had so many opportunities. We should have put it away.
“Hats off to them — they fought hard to stay in the game. Finishing is the final step for us.”
Ladd was happy he found the finishing touch.
“We wanted to win, but coming back from that score to get the tie, that’s big,” Ladd said. “It just shows that we’re willing to fight for each other. We don’t give up on anything. If we’re down, there’s still a chance we can come back.
“The momentum was definitely against us. I was happy to get out of there with a tie.”
Garcia was effusive in his praise of Ladd, saying it’s difficult to find time to ever take him out of the game. Ladd takes that as a compliment.
“It means a lot,” Ladd said. “I think my job on the team is to really just control the midfield, move the ball, get on the ball a lot and create opportunities for the team.
“We’ve shown signs of good soccer. We haven’t played really good yet, but just the willingness to fight for each other shows when we put the pieces together we’re going to be really good.”
Paul Johnson is a freelance reporter for The Beacon-News.
