WOLF PACK RALLY PRODUCES A WIN

SANTEE

Number one is alive, but it wasn’t easy.

Top-seeded West Hills scored a pair of late goals to avoid an upset bid by No. 8 Carlsbad, edging the visiting Lancers 2-1 in the San Diego Section Division II quarterfinals Friday night at West Hills High.

“That’s my favorite score, if you have to be behind,” said Wolf Pack junior Otto Geilenfeldt, who scored the winning goal in the final minute of regulation. “When it’s 1-0, I know we can come back. We’ve done it before.”

While West Hills controlled most of the play in the first half, it was the Lancers who grabbed the early lead.

Shifty senior Christian Cazares gave Carlsbad (710-6) the lead with a goal in the 27th minute. It remained that way until the 65th minute when senior Trevor Clark knotted it for

West Hills 2, Carlsbad 1

West Hills.

“I took the ball between a pair of defenders and let it go,” said Clark. “I just shot it to the back post, just like we’re told to do.”

Geilenfeldt’s heroics came in the 79th minute. He took a pass from club teammate Elijah Mullett and touched it past Carlsbad goalkeeper Bryan Castaneda for the winning score.

“Playing club we have a lot of chemistry,” Geilenfeldt said of his fifth goal of the year. “Eli played it through perfectly and I just touched it in.”

The Wolf Pack (14-3-7) advance to face No. 5 San Dieguito in Tuesday’s semifinal.

“I thought we played well, especially the second half,” said Carlsbad coach Sean Gurley. “It’s just unfortunate we conceded those two late goals.”

Farmer is a freelance writer.