Lakewood Ranch boys see red over loss in state Class 5A soccer final

Mateo Pieschacon cleared the ball, while also sending Ricky Yanez to the turf at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium.

After falling down, Yanez flung his forearm toward Pieschacon to untangle himself.

A consultation followed and referee Zach Hendrixson brandished the dreaded red card.

One of Lakewood Ranch High’s top goalscorers was suddenly gone. The Mustangs were forced to play a man down in the remaining 60 minutes of Saturday’s Class 5A boys soccer state championship.

Weston Cypress Bay, which was already ahead at that point, held on to thwart Lakewood Ranch’s bid at becoming the first Manatee County public school to win a boys soccer state title with a 1-0 victory.

“I just think we got the fuzzy end of the lollipop,” Lakewood Ranch head coach Vito Bavaro said. “And you want the other end of the lollipop. I just think we got a bad beat. Just like in poker. It happens.”

The Mustangs (20-3-1) trailed after eight minutes off a long throw-in. Keeper Ryan Freeman charged from his net, but he didn’t come up with the loose ball. Cypress Bay’s David Corredor did, looping a soft shot over everyone and into the net Freeman vacated.

The Lightning (23-1-2) were up 1-0, celebrating with their fans as Lakewood Ranch’s supporters were hushed for a moment.

“I take responsibility for the goal,” Freeman said. “It was nobody else’s fault. I was out of position and it should have been 0-0 if I hadn’t done that. So that was my mistake, it’s my fault and I take responsibility. And I just feel bad about it.”

Then the entire match was turned on its ear with Yanez ejected in the 21st minute.

“Pablo had no one to play with up top,” Yanez said. “And then after losing, it’s just like I knew I could have done something. It’s hard.”

The Mustangs, though, didn’t quit. Instead, they grinded out the rest of the first half and had two potential penalties go against them. Top goalscorer Pablo Vargas was pulled down inside the penalty box from behind, but the call on the pitch was to play on.

“Clearly a penalty shot,” Bavaro said. “Should absolutely been a penalty shot. ... Changes everything. This is why I am so upset right now. I’m physically ill right now. Because it’s like, ‘OK. You gave a red card.’ I don’t agree with it, but we’ll keep playing because that’s what we do. We’re not going to complain. We’re not going to cry. That’s what you gave, I’m going to fight you on it, whatever. But when Pablo was taken down in the box, clearly taken out from behind because he beat the man and you don’t give a penalty shot? That’s when I got the yellow card.”

Later, with about four minutes remaining in the first half, Wilmer Yanez was on the ground inside the box as teammate Connor Bezet attempted a free kick in the attacking third.

“You’re fighting so many odds to play a good team,” Bavaro said. “And you’ve got to fight these things, too? It’s just upsetting.”

The intermission break meant a change in tactics with Bavaro going with three in the back to help Vargas up top. But without Yanez, a senior forward, to provide linkup play with Vargas, the Mustangs struggled to produce the equalizer.

However, the Mustangs registered four more shots than Cypress Bay, which didn’t press much with a goal and man advantage in the last hour of the match.

Midfielder Tyler Puhalovich had Lakewood Ranch’s best chance at an equalizing goal in the dying minutes. He dribbled into the box, used a couple of stepovers to create a little space and unloaded a shot that trickled just wide in the 77th minute.

Cypress Bay wasn’t threatened after that and celebrated its second state championship in three years. It’s the Lightning’s fifth state title since 2011.

Meanwhile, Lakewood Ranch loses eight starters and 14 overall seniors to graduation.

“Absolutely proudest I’ve ever been of any team in my life,” Bavaro said. “Because they work so hard against tremendous, tremendous odds and they showed so much class. So much class in the face of craziness.”

This story was originally published February 18, 2017 at 7:59 PM with the headline "Lakewood Ranch boys see red over loss in state Class 5A soccer final."