Latest / Kendall County News - Shaw Local / Carter Lucas stonewalls Waubonsie Valley as Oswego East sets school wins record, wins regional title

Transcript

Carter Lucas stonewalls Waubonsie Valley as Oswego East sets school wins record, wins regional title · Kendall County News - Shaw Local

• 0:05
  Carter Lucas Stonewalls Wabonzi Valley as Oswego
• 0:08
  East set school wins record, wins regional title. Written by Skylar Casellus.
• 0:15
  This article is being read by an automated voice, brought to you
• 0:18
  by Everlet. Carter Lucas's bus ride to Downers Grove on Saturday was
• 0:23
  the same as any other road trip. The Oswego East Senior watched
• 0:28
  goalie edits on TikTok during the forty minute trek, and when he
• 0:32
  donned his equipment everything went on the left side first. My teammates
• 0:36
  make fun of me a little bit, but it helps me calm
• 0:38
  down and get focused, Lucas said. His preparation paid off. Lucas was
• 0:44
  laser focused as he made eight saves, including seven in the second
• 0:47
  half, to lead Oswego East to a 1-0 victory over Wabonzi Valley
• 0:52
  in the Class 3 of Downers Grove South Regional Championship. The win
• 0:57
  gave the Wolves May 18 their second regional title in school history
• 1:01
  and their 18th victory of the season, setting a program record. Lucas
• 1:06
  also recorded his first assist of the season, helping a coast-to-coast goal
• 1:10
  by Matt Lopez in the first half. But for Lucas, Saturday was
• 1:14
  about more than winning a plaque, it was about extending his season.
• 1:19
  After missing half of his junior season with an injury, Lucas is
• 1:23
  playing through a do or die stretch with his future in the
• 1:26
  sport still uncertain. I don't know if I'm going to play anywhere
• 1:29
  in college, so I'm just putting everything on the line, Lucas said.
• 1:34
  I want to make it to a state final and end my
• 1:36
  career on a win rather than a loss. His biggest save came
• 1:41
  with 26 seconds left when he dove in front of a Wabansee
• 1:44
  Valley 878, shot to preserve the wolves eleventh shutout of the year.
• 1:49
  Lucas stayed down on the turf for several moments after hurting his
• 1:53
  knee. But like Rocky Balboa in the titular 1976 film, he got
• 1:58
  back up. He was determined to see his effort through to the
• 2:01
  end. I don’t care. If my leg's falling off, Lucas said. We've
• 2:05
  got to win this. Lucas's performance was an impressive sight for Oswego
• 2:10
  East coach Steve Szymanski, who saw a senior playing with ultimate confidence.
• 2:15
  There's been times this year where he's been a little hesitant. Today
• 2:19
  didn't hesitate anything, Szymansky said. He went up and every ball was
• 2:23
  his. He said, You know what? I don't care. I'm gonna go
• 2:26
  get it. And that's what a senior leader does, a captain, and
• 2:29
  I'm super proud of him. Lucas's assist came in the twenty second
• 2:33
  minute. He played a quick ball to Lopez, who carried it nearly
• 2:37
  the length of the field before beating the final defender and finishing
• 2:41
  with his left foot. Lopez said the play was fueled by a
• 2:44
  taunt from a Wabonzi Valley player. This kid said I wasn't faster
• 2:48
  than him, Lopez said, so I brought it down the whole line
• 2:52
  and pretty much just brought it, beat the last man, and put
• 2:55
  it in. Lucas made one save on four shots in the first
• 2:58
  half, but he knew his work was far from over. Oswego
• 3:02
  East had played Wabonzi Valley to a 0-00 tie earlier in the
• 3:05
  season, one where them Warriors put relentless pressure on Lucas. I knew
• 3:10
  we were going to have a battle, Lucas said. I knew it
• 3:12
  was going to be a very defensive second half, just because we
• 3:15
  were already up, and Then
• 3:16
  were going to be be pressing, because it's a must win game.
• 3:20
  He was right. Wabunzi Valley lived in Oswego East territory for much
• 3:25
  of the second
• 3:25
  half, taking eleven shots in the frame. Lucas had to withstand the
• 3:29
  all, including a dangerous crosser early. As the minutes ticked away, the
• 3:34
  keeper kept answering. He made two saves within a minute of each
• 3:38
  other before coming up with two more late in the half, with
• 3:41
  nine sixteen and five oh nine remaining. Then came his final test
• 3:46
  in the final seconds. Lucas denied the warrior's attempt at an equalizer,
• 3:50
  and his defense stood tall through the final whistle. A welcome sound
• 3:54
  for the netminder. Especially with such a stressful second half, it was
• 3:59
  just relief, Lucas said, and I was so proud of the team
• 4:02
  and the boys for fighting through and coming out today and doing
• 4:06
  what we do. The Wolves advanced to Tuesday's sectional semifinal against East
• 4:10
  Aurora, with whom they split two regular season meetings. I love Carter,
• 4:16
  said Lopez, who's been teammates with Lucas since sophomore year. He's been
• 4:20
  such a great goalkeeper all season. The way he's playing, I just
• 4:24
  know he's gonna save us. He's gonna lock us down.