Late surge propels Discoverers over Vikings

COLUMBUS, Mar 16, 2013 (Columbus Telegram - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- The Discoverers came out on top in a battle of city schools.

The Columbus High boys soccer team worked around a slow start to down Lakeview 3-0 in the first round of the Scotus Soccer Invitational Friday at Wilderness Park.

Neither team found a way to get on the board in the first half, as Columbus was shaking off rust in its first game and Lakeview was playing its second game in two days.

"I really thought in the first half, we were a little ragged," Columbus High head coach John Arlt said. "We were playing really direct and we weren't communicating very well. Guys were excited for the first game of the year. We talked to them at halftime about slowing down and looking for some openings and dropping the ball in. The second half was much more fluid." "A lot of it today was experience and fatigue," Lakeview head coach P.J. Miller said. "We don't have a lot of depth, and guys are still learning. We played with (Columbus) in the first half. We had a couple of scoring opportunities, but we just didn't finish." The Discoverers started to click in the second half and got on the board seven minutes into the half on a goal by Jose Orellana.

"The guys were starting to attack much better, and we're passing the ball much better," Arlt said. "Lakeview plays so tough on that back line, it was tough all game, but we broke them down a couple times." Holding a one-goal lead with under five minutes to play, Columbus added some insurance by scoring two more goals in a minute.

Nick Linder flipped the ball over a defender before floating it over the goalkeeper's head to give Columbus a 2-0 lead.

"Nick Linder's goal on his own was an amazing goal," Arlt said. "He basically passed it to himself and got a nice shot on goal." One minute later, freshman Saul Espino found the back of the net for the Discoverers to seal the win.

"In the second half, we ran out of gas, and their experience kicked in," Miller said. "We didn't quit. The guys hung in there." The bright spot for the Vikings was the play of goalkeeper Jonathan Rohwer, who came up with big save after big save, especially in the second half. He finished the game with 13 saves.

"He kept us in (the game)," Miller said. "This is his first year as a full-time starter. He's starting to learn his angles and his positioning a little bit better." Columbus High will face Scotus in Saturday's final at noon at Wilderness Park, while Lakeview will face Crete at 10 a.m. in the consolation game.

Friday at Wilderness Park Lakeview (1-1) 0 0 -- 0 Columbus (1-0) 0 3 -- 3 --Goals-- Lakeview: None; Columbus: Jose Orellana, Nick Linder, Luis Arcos.

--Assists-- Lakeview: None; Columbus: Linder, Saul Espino.

--Shots on goal-- Lakeview 7, Columbus 23.

--Saves-- Lakeview: Jonathan Rohwer 13, Columbus: NA.

___ (c)2013 the Columbus Telegram (Columbus, Neb.) Visit the Columbus Telegram (Columbus, Neb.) at www.columbustelegram.com Distributed by MCT Information Services

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