MURFREESBORO – Lausanne soccer coach Rogerio Lima isn’t a fan of two-goal leads. That’s why he was anxious, when the Lynx got out to a two-goal lead in the first five minutes of the Thursday’s Class A championship.
Even with a defense that allowed just one team to score all season, Lima was nervous about how his team would play with the lead and how Boyd-Buchanan would respond.
It the third goal on a penalty kick that was the insurance Lausanne needed to solidify its third state title in program history with a 3-0 victory at Richard Siegel Soccer Complex. It was Lausanne’s 16th shutout of the season.
“It felt great knowing the game was in our hands the first five, 10 minutes,” Lausanne’s Ryan Ruguaru said. “We really had control and I just loved it.”
NORTHPOINT STATE CHAMPIONS: Northpoint Christian wins TSSAA baseball championship after back-to-back runner-up finishes
NO-HITTER: Collierville sophomore Ari Bethea throws first no-hitter in TSSAA baseball state tournament
STATE RECORD HOLDER: Before Jordan Ware became fastest sprinter in TSSAA history, he had to stop losing to his twin sister
For Ruguaru, a junior midfielder, beating the Buccaneers was special because the Lynx (15-1-1) came up short the last two years in the Division II-A quarterfinals.
Ruguaru made sure the Lynx wouldn’t come up short a third time, netting the second Lausanne goal. He told a senior on the team his freshman year he was going to be a state champion, and that’s what motivated him. He scored two goals in the state tournament.
The Lynx hot start was reminiscent of the style Lausanne likes to play.
Lausanne loves to get ahead early, allowing it to control the game and play comfortably. It’s what helped it return to Murfreesboro for the first time since 2019. That and a dominant defense; Lausanne only gave up four goals all season, and all came in one game to Houston.
“They just refuse to lose,” Lima said. “They love to win and that’s a great combination.”
This article originally appeared on Memphis Commercial Appeal: TSSAA playoffs: Lausanne soccer shuts out Boyd-Buchanan for state title