Undefeated Cate got pushed, but Ema Boateng made sure the Rams pushed on in their quest for a CIF boys soccer championship.
Boateng scored on a breakaway in the first minute of golden-goal overtime to lift Cate to a 3-2 victory over Lennox Academy in a second-round CIF Division 7 playoff match on Wednesday in Carpinteria.
Forward Teddy Mauze’s pressure at the midfield line forced a turnover ball and he fed Boateng, who took off down the center of the field and beat goalkeeper Angel Bustamonte with a low shot off the left post and into the back of the net.
The elated Boateng pulled off his jersey and didn’t stop running as jubilant teammates and school classmates chased after him.
The dramatic ending kept the Rams’ dream season alive and ended a tremendous comeback by Lennox (17-2).
“It was the most physical game we had played all season with a lot of contact and a lot of aggressive challenges,” said Cate coach David Mochel.
The Panthers got goals in the 66th and 75th minutes to tie the score and had a good shot at the go-ahead goal on a free kick during stoppage time. But Cate goalkeeper Blake Wands blocked Miguel Morales’ blast over the cross bar to send the game into overtime.
Avery Schwartz scored in the 26th minute and Teddy Mauze made it 2-0 for Cate in the 37th. Schwartz’s goal was set up by a long free kick into the box by Joshua Yaro. An onrushing 6-4 Jackson Mauze distracted the goalkeeper , who had ball bounce off his chest, and Schwartz was there to knock in the rebound.
Teddy Mauze finished a pin-point cross to the far post by Michael Hassman.
The Rams missed on several opportunities to blow the game open. The Panthers’ Bustamonte had a lot to do with that as he came up big on several breakaways.
Bustamonte blocked Boateng one-on-one and the Panthers responded with their first goal. On a counterattack, midfielder Jose Alonso hit a beautiful through ball to Carlos Payeras, who slotted his shot.
The Panthers capitalized on a Cate defensive lapse to tie the score. Jose Alonso scored on a cross from Ricardo Macias.
It was Cate’s closest game of the year and only the second time the Rams conceded two goals.
“It was a wake-up call,” said Boateng.
“All the guys put in a great effort and responded to a serious gut check,” said Mochel.
The Rams (19-0) will play at The Grove School in Redlands in the quarterfinals on Friday.
