Nick Igel knows only one speed. Call it hyper-drive.
The Milwaukee Rampage forward, looking fit and fast in his new starting role, scored a first-half goal and assisted on the winner in the 88th minute as the Rampage defeated the Toronto Lynx, 2-1, on a hot, humid night at Uihlein Soccer Park.
The Rampage stormed the Toronto goal all night, hitting the crossbar twice in a 30-second span in the first half. But Lynx midfielder Brian Ashton scored the tying goal on a deflected shot in the 57th minute, and it appeared the teams would go to overtime.
But Igel, who had shifted from forward to a midfield position late in the match, wasn't finished. After midfielder Marquinhos played a ball into the penalty area to defender Ricardo Iribarren, the veteran squared the ball to Igel on the right side of the box.
Igel made a quick touch to forward Brian Loftin, who one-timed the ball from 8 yards to beat Toronto goalkeeper Theo Zagar and give the Rampage a 2-1 lead.
"Rather than shoot it, I figured I'd pass it," Igel said. "Brian's a good finisher, and I'm glad he put that in. I couldn't have gone another (15 minutes of overtime)."
Igel's all-out effort from start to finish had to inspire his teammates, who won their second straight match to pull within seven points of second-place Minnesota in the A-League Central Division. Milwaukee improved to a 9-7 record and 37 points, including a 7-2 mark at home, before a crowd of 2,329.
"Nick has been doing very well using his speed to promote the pressure," Rampage coach Cacho Cordoba said. "He closes on defenders at the right time, and our first line of defense is our forwards.
"I think 80% of our goals have come from the pressure."
The first Rampage goal came exactly that way as forward Dan Stebbins pressured a back pass and poked the ball away from Zagar. Stebbins fed Igel for an easy tap-in from 8 yards, putting Milwaukee ahead, 1-0, in the 10th minute.
The Rampage was able to shake off a difficult week after the release of five players, including goalkeeper Carmine Isacco and midfielders Mike Gentile and Pat White. Isacco and Gentile both were key members of the 1997 A-League championship team and had been starters with the Rampage at the start of this season.
"We decided to put everything aside and start playing together," Igel said. "We had some ups and downs this week, of course. We had to keep them in mind but put it behind us."
Cordoba said he was pleased to see his team's commitment.
"Sometimes soccer is like this," he said. "As a professional, you've got to keep your focus. You might have some problems during the week, but at the same time you've got to be ready."
Zagar made 11 saves for the Lynx, which had defeated the Rampage, 2-0, on July 1 in Toronto. And he was helped twice by the crossbar as Milwaukee tried to press its advantage in the first half, when it was aided by a strong wind.
Midfielder Quinn Ross chipped a ball into the box for teammate Omar Dalombo, who chested it to his left foot and sent a full volley rocketing off the crossbar in the 28th minute. The ball bounced out to Ross, who played it to Igel on the right edge of the box, and Igel's bending shot hit the near post and crossbar and bounded away.
"When you play attacking soccer, you have to know the game is 90 minutes," Cordoba said. "The teams that knock on the door for 90 minutes always can have a present."
The Rampage's present came wrapped by Igel, who has battled several injuries in the past two seasons. He suffered a broken right leg while playing for the indoor Milwaukee Wave and was still recuperating at the start of the outdoor season.
"I have something in my head that I want to play," Igel said. "I had to be patient and keep working. It gets frustrating, but you have to keep on going."
First half: 1. Milwaukee, Igel (Stebbins), 10:00. Second half: 2. Toronto, Ashton, 57:00; 3. Milwaukee, Loftin (Igel), 88:00.
Shots: Toronto 19, Milwaukee 18. Saves: Toronto 11 (Zagar 11), Milwaukee 7 (Green 7). Corner kicks: Toronto 3, Milwaukee 5. Fouls: Toronto 11, Milwaukee 16. Offside: Toronto 1, Milwaukee 4. Yellow cards: Toronto 2 (Gaucho, 59:00; Kojic, 71:00), Milwaukee 3 (Iribarren, 52:00; J. Provan, 78:00; Marquinhos, 79:00).
Lineups: Toronto - Zagar, Munguia, Kojic, Serioux, Black, Ashton, Gaucho, Vignjevic, Doliscat (Barker, 38:00), Buzali (Diplacido, 38:00), Santos. Milwaukee - Green, Cerro (Timbers, 61:00), Iribarren, Ackah, J. Provan (Loftin, 79:00), Ross, Willan, Szczepanski, Dalombo (Marquinhos, 46:00), Igel, Stebbins (Lopez, 88:00).
A - 2,329. Referees - Sia Rahimi, Ahmad Pima, John Von Klopp.
Copyright 1999 Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. All rights reserved.
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