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A scoreless contest was busted open in the second half of Tuesday’s Class 6A East Regional tournament semifinal, sending the sixth-seeded Lawrence High Lions to a season-ending 3-1 loss against visiting Blue Valley North Mustangs.

Lawrence (11-5-1) entered postseason play having dropped three of its final four contests, but did find some offensive footing in last week’s regular-season finale courtesy of a five-goal explosion. Playing in frigid conditions Tuesday night, that same level of offensive output never materialized for the Lions.

Lawrence head coach Roy Comparato struck a positive tone after the crushing loss, adding that the Lions kept fighting until the clock read zero.

“You can’t take away the year that they had,” said Comparato, as his club opened the season on a seven-game win streak. “They did some things that just haven’t happened at this school for years.

“This is a special group of players and I knew it in June when we started [workouts].”

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Lawrence High’s Patrick Sandefur walks down the field during a break in the action of the regional semifinals against Blue Valley North.

The scoreless drought ended more than 57 minutes into the contest when Blue Valley North’s Gus Glasser snuck a shot past Lions’ senior goalkeeper Murphy Nowak. The Mustangs then went up 2-0 after senior Will Matthews jolted a kick from 18 yards out past a diving Nowak.

At the 8:27 mark, Bennett Christie unfurled a series of ball fakes en route to sticking a shot into the right corner of the net, increasing the Mustangs’ advantage to a nearly insurmountable 3-0. Christie and Matthews have been dynamic offensively, combining for 24 goals on the season.

The Lions responded with a goal from senior Kareem Juma to trim the deficit to 3-1 at the eight minute mark. But the Lions were unable to get any closer, as Juma’s goal accounted for the final margin.

Comparato said the inclement conditions had a detrimental effect on the Lions’ performance, but noted that No. 11 seed Blue Valley North was in the same boat.

“A lot of our possessions were hurt by the fact that the ball skipped around,” he said. “Our forwards just really couldn’t get going on the ball, and it was the difference in the game.”

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High’s Madjoa Tankoano attempts a header during the regional semifinals.

Specifically, the Lions and star senior Patrick Sandefur were unable to generate much offensive pressure throughout the contest, while Blue Valley North was able to more effectively attack with its wingers pushing the ball.

“They were stretching our backline and it was getting a little dangerous,” Comparato said. “I knew it was a matter of time before they were going to hook one in a space where we couldn’t defend it — and that’s what happened on the first goal.” The Mustangs’ second goal, transpiring at the 12:27 mark, was due to a “simple error,” according to Camparato.

Comparato also lamented several missed opportunities in the first half in which “we had three or four [shots] that just didn’t go in.”

“Their keeper made two unbelievable saves — where that changes the tide of the whole match,” he said, adding that second half adjustments included an attempt to “get more exposure out of the wings and loosen up Patty a little bit.”

The Mustangs, Camparato said, successfully tightened the screws defensively. “Their back three are really good, and every time we got the ball forward it was just tough to make something happen.”

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High’s Jasper Piepergerdes battles a Blue Valley North player over the possession of the ball during the regional semifinals.

Blue Valley North head coach Skylar Roush said the slowing of Sandefur was the focal-point of the Mustangs’ game-plan.

“We felt that if we could eliminate him we would have a good chance to win,” Roush said. “And he had some opportunities, particularly in the first half, where he almost put one away.”

Despite the departure of seven seniors, including Sandefur — the program’s all-time goal leader (45), and Nowak in the net, Camparato believes the future of the program is bright.

“We have a great group of players coming up,” he said, while lauding the departing seniors for elevating the program.

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High boys soccer head coach Joe Comparato walks the field during the pregame of the regional semifinals.

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High boys soccer players walk back toward their bench toward the end of halftime of the regional semifinals.

Mac Moore/Lawrence Sports

Lawrence High’s Lincoln Beck, right, gives Patrick Sandefur a hug after the Lions’ season came to end in the regional semifinals.