The Lakewood Leopards had been waiting for this one. After falling to East Columbus earlier in the season, Tuesday night’s rematch was not just another conference game, it was a chance for redemption. And Lakewood seized it, overpowering the Gators 7-2 in front of their home crowd behind a relentless attack and a hat trick from defenseman John Fernandez (6).
From the opening kickoff, it was clear the Leopards came prepared. They dominated possession, kept the ball on East Columbus’ side of the field, and peppered the Gator net with shots from the start. Early chances from Alexander Velasquez (20), Cris Cortez (7), and Ivan Castaneda (11) tested the East Columbus keeper, but solid saves kept the game scoreless through the first 20 minutes.
That changed when Anner Yanes (9) finally broke through. After Cortez shredded the Gator defense with a perfectly timed assist, Yanes buried the shot to put Lakewood ahead 1-0. Moments later, Cortez doubled the lead, finding the net himself after a string of sharp passes through midfield. At halftime, Lakewood led 2-0 and looked firmly in control.
Head coach Marco Perez said the difference between this meeting and the last was mindset.
“They were the better team the first time,” Perez said. “We were the better team then too, we just didn’t wake up. Tonight they knew what was at stake, and they showed up to play. They knew what this game meant.”
Lakewood opened the second half even stronger than the first, and Fernandez took center stage. Normally, the defensive anchor on the back line, Perez pushed him forward, and it paid off immediately. Fernandez struck twice in less than a minute, both on well-timed runs and clean finishes, to stretch the lead to 4-0.
“He knows that when he gets up front, he better give me some results,” Perez said with a grin. “He’s one of our best, that’s why he’s usually covering the back. He’s saved us so much this year. That’s why I wanted to give him something back tonight, and that hat trick, that was perfect. He earned that.”
Even after building a four-goal cushion, Lakewood kept pressing. Andy Morales (2) scored on a sliding shot that found the bottom corner, and minutes later, Fernandez completed his hat trick to make it 6-0. Not long after, Jose “Chino” Flores (15) tapped in a rebound after a deflected save, giving Lakewood its seventh and final goal.
Perez said he was proud of his team’s ability to maintain intensity from start to finish.
“We control possession most of the time, but it’s about more than that,” he explained. “It’s about being disciplined when you’ve got the lead and not letting up. Tonight, they stayed aggressive. Even when we went to the bench and gave the reserves time, we stayed focused.”
While Lakewood celebrated its statement win, Perez was quick to remind his players that one victory, even one as satisfying as this, is not the end goal.
“We’re not in first yet. We’re not done until we finish where we’re supposed to be, at the top, in the championship tournament. They know where they stand, and they know every game can change that. We’re working toward that 100 percent, and we’ll get there if we keep showing up ready.”
For East Columbus, the loss was tough, but head coach Andreas Sing took pride in the effort and heart his team displayed down the stretch, even when the game was out of reach.
“We have suffered a few injuries and had to shift some things around,” Sing said. “The plan we had in that first game was with those players. Now, we have a different lineup, different positions, and different schemes. Their speed really hurt us tonight. We just couldn’t keep up with it.”
Even with the score lopsided, Sing pointed to several bright spots, especially the performance of his goalkeeper, Jordan Dorsey.
“Goalie is a very lonely position,” Sing said. “Nobody notices the goalie until somebody scores, and then everyone blames him. But Jordan had more than ten saves tonight. There were more saves than goals, and that says a lot about his effort and his heart. He never quit. None of our guys did.”
Sing also emphasized that losses like this one can be valuable teaching moments for his younger players.
“I’m a firm believer you learn more from losses than from wins,” he said. “Winning cures a lot of things, but losing makes you look at yourself and see what you can fix. Some of our younger guys got minutes tonight, and that experience, even in a tough game, will help them grow. The biggest lesson is to keep fighting, not just in soccer, but in life. Don’t quit. Keep moving forward.”
East Columbus managed to score two late goals to avoid the shutout, capitalizing on breakaways in the final ten minutes. But the night belonged to Lakewood, who controlled nearly every aspect of the match from start to finish.
As the final whistle blew, the Leopards’ players celebrated with smiles and hugs, a long-awaited moment of payback that showed just how far they have come since that early-season stumble.
“They know what it takes now,” Perez said as his team packed up for the night. “They’ve worked for it, and they’re starting to see it pay off. But we’re not satisfied yet. This is just the beginning.”