A controversial penalty kick may have kept the Lathrop United from a Jim Frazier Tournament championship, but it hardly diminished a banner inaugural season for the boys soccer club. 

Lathrop was defeated by Tuolumne in their tournament opener on Saturday, 3-2, but rallied to post convincing victories Merced (7-0), Manteca (2-0) and Stockton (5-0) to earn third-place.

Tuolumne was crowned the tournament champion after winning a goals-scored tiebreaker with Modesto. Lathrop led all teams in scoring with 16 tallies with Hairo Silva netting a team-high five in four games.

The tournament was scored on a points system, making the official’s ruling in the final moments of Lathrop’s opener against Tuolumne all the more heart-breaking.

With the score tied at 2s, Tuolumne was awarded a penalty kick in the final moments and converted, escaping with the 3-2 victory.

“I told my boys regardless of this point system, I felt they were the better team out there this weekend,” Lathrop coach Alfredo Reynaga said, “and that I was extremely proud of their effort and the class they showed by congratulating Tuolumne at the end of all the games.”

In its first year, Lathrop United had no reason to hang its head.

In the final three games of the tournament, Lathrop left no doubt about its place on the podium.

Lathrop earned a max 10 points in its victory over Merced, tallying seven goals to go with three points for the win. 

“I guess our boys were still ticked off at the previous game,” Reynaga said. 

Lathrop swept both games on Sunday, beginning with a 2-0 blanking of Manteca. Lathrop rolled past Stockton in its finale, closing the tournament with 31 points.

“I couldn’t be more proud of this young group of kids,” Reynaga said. “We had a great showing in our first year and we will be that much hungrier the next time around.”