Last Wednesday, the Boys Varsity Soccer team defeated Hartland 2-1 in an MHSAA District Semi-final game, a game that certainly ranks among the most exciting in the program's history.

Having already won their first District game on Monday night, the team advanced to its 1st District final ever in a game eventually decided by penalty kicks after regulation plus two overtime sessions.

Hartland started the game on fire. They were the more aggressive team the first 10 min and controlled the play, however they didn’t get a shot on goal. Then in the 10th min Lakeland’s defense made a very rare error, and gave the ball up to Hartland’s forward who went one on one with Lakeland’s goalie Jacob Wojchiehowski. Jacob got a foot on the ball, slowed it way down, and then almost beat the second forward to the corner of the goal to stop the ball before it rolled across the goal line. This gave Hartland an early 1-0 lead.

After Hartland’s goal, Lakeland came out and dominated the rest of the half with its usual possession play. Despite several good scoring opportunities, Lakeland entered halftime still down 1-0.

In the 57th minute of the second half, Jeremy Balzer took a corner kick, it bounced around and was passed back out to him. Jeremy made a sick move to get around one defender and then totally wrecked another defender with an incredibly hard shot that bounced off the defenders left side and into the net. For the rest of the half the play was fast paced moving back and forth, no one really getting a great shot.

Both overtimes were about the same, with Lakeland controlling the play and had most of the energy, with some great opportunities, but nothing made it into the back of the net.

In District play, there can be no ties, so the outcome of the game was determined by penalty kicks. Hartland made its first 2 shots, while Lakeland missed its first 3. Down 2-0 in PKs, Jacob Wojchiehowski, Lakeland’s goalie, went on a tear. He stopped Hartland's next 4 shots, a very unusual feat. Meanwhile, Lakeland’s final 3 shooter’s, Jonah Hogle, Rio Miki, and Lucas Theaker all scored their PKs giving Lakeland the exciting win, 3-2 in PKs.