Fretes gets rebound, scores Spartans' game-winner in OT

By Brian Christopherson

Remember always: One man's garbage is another man's treasure.

LincolnEast junior soccer player Nicko Fretes can tell you all about it after his Class A No. 2-ranked team's 2-0 overtime win against Lincoln Southeast on Tuesday.

With 3:50 left in overtime at Abbott Sports Complex, Fretes scored the game-winner on what East boys coach Jeff Hoham termed an "ugly goal" or "garbage goal." To be more PC, it was a "rebound shot" that improved the Spartans to 10-0.

"If somebody were to tell me before the season, with losing 13 seniors from last year's team, that we'd be 10-0 right now, Iwould have laughed pretty hard at them," said Hoham, whose team also defeated Class B's No. 1 team, Omaha Skutt, Saturday.

On the "ugly goal," East's Mike Johnson hit a direct kick from just outside the box off the far post. Fretes crashed for the rebound and initially whiffed on a shot. But teammate Jake Rocke got a foot on it, touching it back to Fretes, who slipped it in the net.

It was the type of hustle goal Hoham had envisioned at halftime.

Said Fretes: "Hoham (said) at halftime to just keep crashing the box and something would happen."

Knights goalkeeper John Bradford, who had a solid game, said Fretes' goal was more than just garbage. He vehemently argued with officials that the Spartans were offside when the ball left Johnson's foot. The junior received a red card for dissent.

Seventh-ranked Southeast (8-2) then pulled up its forces in an effort to tie the game. The Spartans' Rocke took advantage and added a tally with only one second left. East goaltender Brady Beran picked up the shutout, his team holding a 20-12 shots-on-goal edge.

"Both teams had big tournaments over the weekend, and Ithink the game was actually played a little slower than Southeast-East games usually are," said Knights coach Linda Wilson, whose team won the Knight Invitational over the weekend and beat No. 3 Omaha Westside. "But it's always a good game when we get together with East."

Both teams were also wounded a bit. Southeast played without midfielder Blake Neben, who is having pain from kidney stones. East's Nick Zalewski is likely out until at least May after tearing a calf muscle against Skutt.