Having already battled back twice to tie the game, the Lawrence High boys soccer team didn’t have time to do it again.

As the referee whistled for a penalty kick with the game tied and just two minutes and 16 seconds remaining, the Lions turned to goalkeeper Gary Schmidt with any hope of salvaging a tie resting firmly on his shoulders.

Washburn Rural’s Matt Wolfe stepped to the spot and powered a shot to the left side of the goal. Schmidt had no chance to make the save, as the shot broke the deadlock and handed Washburn Rural the 3-2 win on Thursday.

After the match, LHS coach Mike Murphy expressed his displeasure with the call that led to the penalty. He calmly engaged in a conversation with the officials after the sides shook hands, explaining why he was upset with how things unfolded.

“I said, ‘Look, in a game like that where those guys are playing so hard, you can’t let that be the deciding factor,’ ” Murphy said.

Regardless of whether or not the late foul on LHS sophomore midfielder Kanak Masten was deserved, there was certainly no shortage of opportunities on either side.

Washburn Rural was first on the board in the third minute after LHS senior defender Ja’Melle Dye was unable to clear a ball at the top of the box. Washburn’s Kevin Monge regained possession and threaded a pass to Jake Campbell, who put it in the back of the net.

Dye took responsibility for the play, walking up to his teammates at the half and apologizing for his mistake. It was that story, relayed to Murphy, that elicited a smile from the coach after the loss.

“Oh my gosh,” Murphy said. “And did you see him come out of the game? No, right? Because we trust him. He’s (worked) all summer to get that opportunity.”

After that goal, Washburn Rural had plenty of chances to extend the lead, tallying 12 shots (six on goal) and eight corners through the first 40 minutes, but Schmidt came through over and over.

Filling in for regular goalkeeper Ross Brungardt, who was away with the football team, Schmidt tallied eight saves on the day, the most impressive of which came on a well-struck free kick from Wolfe in the first half.

“(Schmidt) played excellent,” said junior forward Will Yanek. “He did a tremendous job. And I’m looking forward to seeing him back on the field because he’s a tremendous defender as well.”

While Schmidt kept things within reach, it was Yanek who knotted things up — twice.

His first goal came in the 45th minute. Dario Ramirez took a throw-in deep in the attacking third and sent the ball into the box. It bounced around until senior forward Quentin Harrington managed to knock it back toward the goal and Yanek finished off the play.

Later — after a goal by Wolfe in the 59th minute to put Washburn Rural up 2-1 — Yanek came through once more. Ramirez played a ball ahead to Masten, whose cross into the box was fumbled away by Washburn Rural goalkeeper Collin Freking.

Yanek was there to pick up the pieces for what he said was his first two-goal game since his freshman season.

“Those were too scrappy goals, too,” joked Schmidt to a teammate after the game.

But ultimately they weren’t enough.

The last-minute penalty and final goal left the Lions (1-1-1) with their first loss of the season, though Murphy said he thought his side had definitively outplayed its opponent. And sure enough, it was for that reason Yanek said he hoped his team could use the game, even in defeat, to help propel it.

“I think we can carry the momentum that we built here,” Yanek said. “I think we played really good soccer today.”