DUVALL – His clearly more talented team was slumping, so Lakewood’s Jorge Dominguez generated a jolt.
The senior forward put on a one-man show with four minutes, 30 seconds remaining in the first half to give the Cougars a 2-1 lead. Dominguez blocked a Columbia pass with his chest in the middle of the field from about 25 yards out, then faked out two defenders and cranked a hard 20-yard shot into the top right corner of the net for the eventual game-winning goal in Lakewood’s 3-1 first-round, loser-out Class 2A state boys soccer tournament victory Tuesday at Cedarcrest High School.
Dominguez scored two goals and assisted on a third for Lakewood (15-4 overall), which will play Ridgefield winner in a quarterfinal game 1 p.m. Saturday at Cedarcrest.
“I did a couple of moves and scored,” Dominguez said of his game-winner. “It really brought our momentum up and brought their momentum down.”
Lakewood dominated the first half, outshooting Columbia 12-2, but Dominguez’s virtuoso goal zapped the Cougs back to life.
“That was awesome,” Lakewood coach Vaughn Vandelac said. The Cougars offense has really been clicking since Dominguez moved from midfielder to forward earlier this season, Vandelac added.
Dominguez put Lakewood ahead 3-1 just more than six minutes into the second half. Teammate Scott Roberts fed Kenny Serna in the far left corner, then Serna sent a picture-perfect crossing pass in front of the net. Dominguez popped a shot beyond Columbia’s helpless goalie, Juan Benavides.
Think goalies only prevent goals? Lakewood keeper Ryan Clifton decided to multitask, igniting the Cougars’ first scoring play. Six minutes, 45 seconds into the game, Clifton sent a perfect lead pass about 55 yards downfield to sprinting Dominguez, who dribbled the ball up the right third of the field. From about 15 yards out, Dominguez booted a precise crossing pass to Serna, who spied a wide open net and headed in the game’s first goal.
“He can really launch it,” Vandelac said. “He’s done that for us a few times this year. He’s always trying to get that assist.”
At Duvall
Goals-Columbia: Granados. Lakewood: Serna, Dominguez 2. Goalkeepers-Columbia: Benavides. Lakewood: Clifton. Records-Columbia 12-5 overall. Lakewood 15-4.
Talk to us
> Give us your news tips.
> Send us a letter to the editor.
> More Herald contact information.