Lake Forest College Sports Information
September 6, 2003
Contact: Mike Wajerski, SID

Foresters Score 11 Goals En Route to Sal Vaccaro Tourney Championship
Lake Forest defeated Mount Mercy College and host North Central College
  

Walter Echeverry scored a hat trick in his collegiate debut.
NAPERVILLE, IL - The Lake Forest College men's soccer team got the 2003 season off to a great start with a pair of victories and the championship at North Central College's Sal Vaccaro Tournament over the weekend (September 5-6). The Foresters defeated Mount Mercy College 8-1 Friday night under the lights and knocked off North Central 3-1 in the title game Saturday afternoon.

Senior midfielder Steve Teisl (Chardon, OH/Gilmour Academy) scored the Foresters' first goal of Friday's game off a pass from freshman forward Walter Echeverry (Glenview, IL/Maine Township East), who had a memorable debut. Senior midfielder Matt Deimler (Wadsworth, IL/Warren Township) was credited with the second score of the game when a Mustang player accidentally deflected the ball into his own goal. Echeverry scored the third Forester goal on a brilliant diving header, deflecting a cross from junior defender Andy Cochran (Bedford, NH/Derryfield School) into the net. After Mount Mercy scored to pull within a pair of goals, Echeverry scored his second of the game off a pass from junior midfielder Alex Stavropolous (Vernon Hills, IL/Stevenson). Senior midfielder Phil Schwab (St. Louis, MO/Christian Brothers College H.S.) assisted on Cochran's first of the year to close out the first period scoring.

Echeverry completed the hat trick and seven-point game early in the second half on an unassisted goal. Cochran scored once again with junior midfielder John Karner (Gurnee,IL/Warren Township) earning the assist and freshman forward Chris Georgen (St. Louis, MO/Crossroads School) scored his first collegiate goal from sophomore midfielder Michael Freed (Pomona, CA/Webb School of California) to finally end the scoring barrage.

Junior goalkeeper Eric Booth (Buffalo Grove, IL/Stevenson) recorded four saves and the Mustangs' only goal came on a penalty kick. He followed up a quality performance on Friday with six saves in 83 shutout minutes in Saturday's win over the tournament hosts. The Cardinals' only score came off a restart with 18 seconds left in the game and Booth resting on the bench.

Deimler started the scoring in Saturday's title game with an unassisted goal, his second of the weekend. The Foresters led 1-0 at intermission and, thanks to a number of fantastic saves by Booth, maintained the slim advantage until tacking on a pair of goals late in the game. Cochran and Deimler each scored for the third time in the tournament and Echeverry recorded another assist.

Lake Forest will travel to Benedictine University Tuesday (September 9) afternoon in search of Head Coach Ed Kositzki's 100th career victory. "Coach K's" (99-55-2) next victory will make him just the second coach in Forester soccer history to reach the 100-win plateau.