Lakenheath's Kyler Zachary heads the ball away from the Lakenheath goal during a home game on Saturday, May 3, 2014, against ISB. The game was tied at zero at the half. (Adam L. Mathis/Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath's Kyler Zachary heads the ball away from the Lakenheath goal during a home game on Saturday, May 3, 2014, against ISB. The game was tied at zero at the half. (Adam L. Mathis/Stars and Stripes)
Lakenheath's Chris Miles vies for the ball with ISB's Adriaan Keurhorst during a boys soccer game on Saturday, May 3, 2014. Lakenheath would eventually win the game 2-1. (Adam L. Mathis/Stars and Stripes)
ISB's Jamie Spottiswood fails to stop a penalty kick by Lakenheath's Elmer Ramos in a 2-1 loss to the Lancers on Saturday, May 3, 2014. (Adam L. Mathis/Stars and Stripes)
RAF LAKENHEATH, England – The Lakenheath boys soccer team edged out the International School of Brussels 2-1 on Saturday in a game with just about all the highlights in the second half.
The first half ended in a stalemate at zero between the two Division I teams, with Lakenheath’s offense hampered not so much by the Kaiserslautern goalkeeper but by Raiders defensive moves in the field before the ball even got that far.
The first part of the second half saw ISB with the advantage. The Raiders’ Asgeir Ingunnarson scored to put his team on top. But Lakenheath’s Elmer Ramos’ successful penalty kick evened it up.
Ramos would follow up with a second goal from short range.
Despite a push by the Raiders to tie the game, including a spectacular header attempt by Pepyn Kruidenier that resulted in him crashing into the goal post, they could not penetrate the Lancers’ defense in the time remaining.
Patric Naranjo, the Lakenheath coach, said ISB has a strong team, but his boys came into the game positive and their training showed through. Lakenheath should have “had more goals, but that goes in conjunction with we had more chances, so it’s a good and bad thing,” Naranjo said.
When asked about his thoughts on Europeans, Naranjo indicated beating ISB had them thinking a championship year was possible.
The Raiders are “a very high caliber team, Division I, back-to-back champions, so for us to beat them, you know, it’s obvious where that would put our mindset.”
Most soccer matches are double headers with both girls and boys playing, but ISB did not bring their girls team and forfeited the match. ISB coach Philippe Kaisin said only nine girls were available to travel to Lakenheath.
Kaisin said the girls tryouts were low in numbers to start the year.
Kaisin described the girls program as “a bit falling apart,” adding that it’s possible it might not enter the year-end championships.
Twitter: @AMathisStripes
