Sanchez’s goal caps sizzling postseason run

Twelve minutes into the second half of a scoreless Class 3A championship soccer game Saturday, Lyons Township junior Horacio Sanchez locked in on his target — a tiny window of space 30 yards away only he seemed to see — let loose and fired.

The midfielder’s shot navigated its way past a Lake Zurich defender and one-hopped beyond the outstretched arms of Bears’ goalie Tyler Raineri into the far-post side netting to give the Lions a 1-0 lead. The Lions went on to win the game 2-1 in overtime for the program’s first state title.

Sanchez’s shot caught everyone off guard, a goal LT coach Paul Labbato and the rest of the Lions bench could not really figure out.

“All I saw was it hit the side netting, and it was amazing,” Labbato said. “It was kind of surreal because we couldn’t understand how that ball got in.”

Somehow, Sanchez found a way. The goal came out of nowhere, much like the junior’s brilliant playoff run. Sanchez scored six goals in the Lions’ seven postseason games. He scored eight goals during the entire regular season.

“I feel like I’m on top of the world,” Sanchez said moments after becoming a state champion. “This was what we were working towards the whole season.”

So what got into Sanchez? What was it that sparked such an offensive explosion?

“I just felt a lot more confident,” he said. “I knew I had to pick up my game if we wanted to win this.”

Sanchez had one goal in LT’s regional 7-0 win over Lincoln Park, then was held scoreless in a 7-2 regional final win over Juarez. From then on, though, the junior could not be stopped as he scored one goal in each of the Lions’ five remaining games.

What makes the run more impressive was that it was not garbage goals tacked on near the end of blowouts that Sanchez was scoring. He scored the game-winner in a 3-2 double-overtime victory over rival Hinsdale Central in the sectional finals. His header off a Zach Pearsall free kick was the only goal in a 1-0 upset over top-ranked Neuqua Valley in the supersectionals. Then of course, there was the shot out of nowhere to give the Lions the lead Friday on the postseason’s biggest stage.

“He’s the equivalent to the basketball player that wants the ball at the end of the game, the quarterback that wants to have the ball in his hands for the winning drive,” Labbato said. “He has that kind of confidence. When the game is on the line, he can do it. He can carry the load.”