The Lake Forest College men's soccer team netted a pair of goals in the final minute of regulation to tie the score and another in the second overtime to defeat Knox College 4-3 on Friday in the semifinals of the Midwest Conference Tournament.
The MWC Champion Foresters, who are hosting the four-team event, trailed 3-1 late in the second half and were down two players due to red cards. The comeback began when freshman forward Mateus Lima's header deflected a pass form junior forward Elliot Hull pass into the goal with 48 seconds on the clock.
The Foresters struck again 30 seconds later. Hull's throw-in was deflected by a Prairie Fire defender straight to freshman midfielder Karl Weisenfeld, who fired a shot that caromed off the left post and into the goal to tie the game.
After one scoreless 10-minute overtime period, the teams switched directions and Forester junior forward Rayan Khalid, who scored his first goal of the season earlier in the contest, took a lead pass from senior Teddy Kolesnikov near midfield and lofted a shot from nearly 50 yards out. The ball flew over the retreating Knox goalkeeper and into the net for what proved to be the game-winner.
Khalid's earlier score came on on a header and was assisted by junior defender Rafael Bonilla-Climaco on a free kick from beyond midfield.
Junior goalkeeper Szymon made two of his five saves on the day in the second overtime as Lake Forest hung on for the improbable victory.
The Foresters are now 7-8-3 on the season. and will face Grinnell College in the tournament final Saturday afternoon at 2:00. The Pioneers defeated Ripon College 2-0 in Friday's second semifinal, setting up a rematch of Lake Forest's 2-0 conference title-clinching victory at Grinnell last Saturday.
