Gators fight back

Land O'Lakes comes from behind to down Lakeland.

By MIKE TOMPKINS
Published February 11, 2005

LAND O'LAKES - On a night when the wind chill made the Swamp feel like the Frozen Tundra, Land O'Lakes battled back from a two-goal deficit to defeat the Lakeland Dreadnaughts 3-2. The teams were tied at 2 at the end of regulation before the Gators won on penalty kicks, 4-3.

"We played diabolically badly in the first half," Gators coach Mark Pearson said. "We came out flat, we came out soft, and we didn't come out ready to play. I don't know what it is about the first half, but we settled down in the second. I thought we dominated from that point on. It feels good to win. In this stage of the year that's what you have to do. You have to win. Whatever it takes."

Gator keeper Kyle Boerner brought Land O'Lakes (16-3-2) back from the depths of elimination, coming up big in the PK round after allowing two soft goals in the first half. With the teams tied at 3 after one PK round, Boerner found himself on the kicking end during sudden death. He responded with the gamewinner, and then watched as Lakeland's Tyler Gaffney booted a kick wide left, ending the game.

"The difference for us, and I'll go back to it again: Kyle Boerner is the best goalkeeper in the state, by far," said Pearson. "He makes the winning penalty kick, and then he saves the one he needs to save. They call it back (due to Boerner moving forward prior to the kick), and he stands between the pipes and the guy misses the second one. He's phenomenal."

Lakeland (16-8-1) jumped to the early 2-0 lead on goals by Derek Hall and Clif White. Land O'Lakes battled back with two goals in 70 seconds, by Drew Kimpland and Joshua Chan, who scored his second tying goal in as many weeks.

For Lakeland coach Rudi Arndt, the loss was disappointing, but with many freshman and sophomores in his lineup, it could be a sign of the future.

"It's tough to lose like that," said Arndt. "But we are a young team. In that second half, with so many freshmen and sophomores, we ran out of steam."

LAKELAND - Sometimes brilliance is hard to describe.

They were nice," Lakeland George Jenkins coach Jim Cross said at first in describing the dazzling goals scored Kevin Pope.

The senior forward finished with three goals and an assist as the Eagles blanked Mitchell, 5-0.

Mitchell was competitive for much of the first half. The Mustangs pressured the Eagles' with their best chance coming when Patrick Smith fired a rocket off the crossbar.

- THE LEDGER

[Last modified February 11, 2005, 00:53:10]