Junior forward Diego Lugo embraces his role as a reserve for St. Laurence.
Sitting on the bench when the game starts, his hunger intensifies.
“I’m always ready from the start of the game, whenever I put my cleats on and step onto the field,” Lugo said. “I always knew that I’d be a role player, but any time I’m sitting on the bench, it just gives me more motivation.”
Lugo provided a huge spark Wednesday night for the Vikings, producing a goal and an assist in a 25-second span to lift top-seeded host St. Laurence to a 3-1 win over fifth-seeded Payton in a Class 2A sectional semifinal.
Lalo Perez and Jonathan Esparza also scored for the Vikings (19-2-4), who will take on second-seeded Solorio (20-3) — a 3-2 winner over third-seeded St. Ignatius (10-6-5) — at 5 p.m. Friday in the sectional championship game.
It’s a rematch of a sectional semifinal from 2021, when Solorio beat St. Laurence 2-1. The Vikings topped the Sun Warriors 3-0 earlier this season.
Victor Margeta scored for Payton (9-11-1).
St. Laurence led 1-0 late in the first half Wednesday before Lugo emerged as the star of the night.
With 2:39 left, Lugo took a pass from Pedro Mendez, broke down the left side of the field and buried a 15-yard shot.
Just 25 seconds later, Lugo got past the Grizzlies’ defense and was tripped up in the box, drawing a penalty kick.
Esparza converted the PK, and suddenly, the Vikings had a 3-0 lead.
“I just came in, and right when the coaches called my number, I was ready,” Lugo said. “When we work as a team, we’re just unstoppable.”
St. Laurence coach Jaime Alonso, who has a ton of trust in his bench players, has been especially impressed with Lugo.
“Looking at Diego’s contribution, you can see the depth of our team,” Alonso said. “Every single kid is confident they can go in and affect the game. This game it was Diego Lugo, the next game it could be another kid.
“I told the boys, ‘Your moment will come. It’s a matter of if you own your moment or you don’t.’ Diego did.”
Lugo, who also plays baseball for the Vikings, feels he benefits from being a multisport athlete.
“I feel like it gives me more of an advantage physically, mentally and everything,” Lugo said.
Alonso has seen Lugo’s instincts on the soccer field improve greatly.
“He was always athletic,” Alonso said. “Now, he’s picked up the soccer portion of it a little bit more, and it’s showing. There are little things that he’s improved on, and when you mix that with his athleticism and speed, it’s a recipe for disaster for the opposing team.”
Lalo Perez, meanwhile, got the Vikings off to a fast start in the seventh minute.
Edgar Perez — who is unrelated to Lalo — sent in a cross that was broken up by Payton goalkeeper Ulises Zepeda, but Zepeda lost the ball and Lalo Perez crashed in for the rebound and slammed it home.
“Since the huddle, we were saying we have to go out there and go at them, get them off their rhythm right off the bat,” Lalo Perez said. “That goal gave us a big boost.
“We were in it right there. All of us were hyped for the rest of the game.”
Michael Calderon made four saves for St. Laurence, which is going at least one step beyond last season’s finish while looking for revenge against Solorio.
“I feel like we can go a long way if we stick together,” Lugo said.
Steve Millar is a freelance reporter for the Daily Southtown.