Tuesday’s big news, of course, was Tampa being named as one of the 18 cities to be included in the United States’ bid for the 2018/2022 World Cups. The Tampa Tribune’s Bill Ward was at the announcement, which had a lot of smiling faces.
http://bit.ly/4wtQvx
In high school action on Tuesday night, Berkeley Prep routed St. Petersburg Catholic 7-1, a win made more significant by Buccaneers standout T.J. Roehn scoring his 100th career goal with a first-half hat trick.
Roehn finished with four on the night, and now sits on 101 goals for his career, needing just another five to break Tyler Davis’ school record of 105. Roehn, who will join the University of South Florida’s program next season, said the biggest thing for the Bucs this season was to continue to have success as they moved into the playoffs.
“The biggest part of the season was just trying to rebuild from last season,” Roehn said. “The main goal is to do as well as we could in the playoffs, and if we do well in the playoffs, the goals will come, so they work together.”
Buccaneers coach Tim Cooper was very happy for his standout striker.
“He’s cruising along,” Cooper said. “He’s gotten on track, and if he can get another couple of goals in the next couple of weeks, he should be there. I’m proud of him.”
Elsewhere on Tuesday night, Mitchell continued its strong season with a 4-1 win against Countryside in the Hurricane Watch tournament hosted by Palm Harbor, but as the St. Petersburg Times’ Bryan Burns writes, the lone goal proved crucial for the Cougars, who will get a rematch with the Mustangs in Friday’s final.
http://bit.ly/8rdJ5g
In other Pinellas County news, Palm Harbor will travel to face St. Petersburg for the Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship on Friday evening at 6:30 p.m.
http://bit.ly/843BCD
Showing posts with label Countryside. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Countryside. Show all posts
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Preps: East Lake boys earns victory, Durant, Newsome fight for position
East Lake’s boys moved one step closer to a Pinellas County Athletic Conference title with a win against Seminole last night. The St. Petersburg Times’ Bryan Burns was at the game, and filed this report, which also includes round-ups from Palm Harbor and Countryside boys and girls games, and details of a good district win for Berkeley Prep’s girls.
http://hometeam.tampabay.com/blog/2010/jan/06/county-roundup-east-lake-closer-pcac-title/
Elsewhere on the boys side, Durant moved its winning streak to five games with a 4-0 win against Tampa Bay Tech, all four goals coming in the second half as Billy Fanning struck twice to give him 16 goals on the season. The Cougars have the same record as Newsome in district (3-0-2), which defeated Armwood 5-0 on Tuesday, Carlos Galeano scoring twice for the Wolves. The two teams tied 3-3 when they met earlier in the season, but Newsome would appear to have the upper hand in securing the No.2 seed for the 5A-District 8 tournament as it hosts Tampa Bay Tech in its final district game, while Durant has to face current district leader Plant City on Friday.
In Class 6A-District 8, Bloomingdale and Wharton played to a 2-2 tie, opening the door for Plant to earn the No.1 seed in the district tournament. To earn it, the Panthers would need to defeat current third-placed side Alonso on Friday night.
On the girl’s side, Gaither took an impressive 2-0 win against Sickles though goals by Madison Henriquez and Ashley Acco. Bloomingdale also earned a convincing 6-0 victory against Wharton, freshman Elyse Fontecchio scoring a hat trick.
http://hometeam.tampabay.com/blog/2010/jan/06/county-roundup-east-lake-closer-pcac-title/
Elsewhere on the boys side, Durant moved its winning streak to five games with a 4-0 win against Tampa Bay Tech, all four goals coming in the second half as Billy Fanning struck twice to give him 16 goals on the season. The Cougars have the same record as Newsome in district (3-0-2), which defeated Armwood 5-0 on Tuesday, Carlos Galeano scoring twice for the Wolves. The two teams tied 3-3 when they met earlier in the season, but Newsome would appear to have the upper hand in securing the No.2 seed for the 5A-District 8 tournament as it hosts Tampa Bay Tech in its final district game, while Durant has to face current district leader Plant City on Friday.
In Class 6A-District 8, Bloomingdale and Wharton played to a 2-2 tie, opening the door for Plant to earn the No.1 seed in the district tournament. To earn it, the Panthers would need to defeat current third-placed side Alonso on Friday night.
On the girl’s side, Gaither took an impressive 2-0 win against Sickles though goals by Madison Henriquez and Ashley Acco. Bloomingdale also earned a convincing 6-0 victory against Wharton, freshman Elyse Fontecchio scoring a hat trick.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Preps: Good news, bad news for Countryside
The St. Petersburg Times' Bryan Burns reported on Monday that Countryside coach Dave Sice had his suspension for a red card against East Lake on Dec. 19 reduced to just three weeks, but forward Nikolai Hammer will have to sit out the full six weeks for his ejection in the same game.
http://hometeam.tampabay.com/blog/2010/jan/04/countrysides-sica-has-suspension-reduced-three-weeks/
Hammer would be eligible to play if the Cougars made it to the Class 6A-District 7 championship game, while Sica should be on the sideline this Friday when Countryside faces Sarasota.
While having Hammer unavailable for the start of the district tournament, the Cougars performance without him and Kyle Eichof at the High School Classic where they reached the quarterfinals should give them hope that they can get to the district final, and thus a place in the region tournament, without their standout playmaker.
http://hometeam.tampabay.com/blog/2010/jan/04/countrysides-sica-has-suspension-reduced-three-weeks/
Hammer would be eligible to play if the Cougars made it to the Class 6A-District 7 championship game, while Sica should be on the sideline this Friday when Countryside faces Sarasota.
While having Hammer unavailable for the start of the district tournament, the Cougars performance without him and Kyle Eichof at the High School Classic where they reached the quarterfinals should give them hope that they can get to the district final, and thus a place in the region tournament, without their standout playmaker.
Tuesday, December 22, 2009
Preps: Blue Jays to face Bulldogs in Classic final
TAMPA – New Orleans Jesuit came to the High School Soccer Classic with big expectations.
“This was one of our major goals in the season,” Blue Jays coach Hubie Collins said. “We knew we were coming to this even four months ago, before our season even began. I know our players were very focused on it, we knew there was going to be great competition down here, we knew we were going to play some great teams, and that’s what we wanted to do.”
On Tuesday night, the Blue Jays, who edged up to No.5 in the ESPN Fab 50 earlier in the day, advanced to the Classic final, a 2-0 victory against Countryside setting up a game against No.24 Melbourne on Wednesday at noon at the Ed Radice Sports Complex.
The victory could have been a far easier one for the Blue Jays, who struggled with their finishing throughout the game, Patrick Culotta having a good chance saved and Alex Petrou putting the rebound wide early. Blue Jays standout junior Steven Cabos gave his side the lead in the 29th minute, though, rifling home a shot from 25 yards into the right corner of the net.
The Cougars had been concerned about fatigue, having played a tough game earlier against Palm Harbor to advance to the semifinals, and that proved to be a valid concern as they struggled for the most part to find a rhythm, allowing Jesuit numerous opportunities.
The Blue Jays were unable to take advantage of them, though, and with just under 15 minutes to go the Cougars almost tied the game as Mike Lion’s sweeping pass from the center found an unmarked Zack Shriver breaking in on the left. Shriver moved in and juked past the goalkeeper, only to see his shot find the side-netting.
“Nine time out of 10 he finishes that ball, he’s a solid player,” Countryside assistant coach Colby Beckman said. “Unfortunately, I thought tonight wasn’t right for us, it wasn’t our night.”
The Cougars continued to press forwards, and gave the Blue Jays some anxious moments at the back as they went to three attackers to press for the equalizer. With 10 minutes to go, there was a brief stoppage as one of the sets of floodlights went out on the field, but the lights didn’t go out on the Cougars hopes until four minutes remained. After a foul just inside the Countryside half was quickly taken by the Blue Jays down the right to Andrew Moise, he got in behind the Cougars defense, and centered across the top of the six-yard box to Culotta, who controlled and then shot home to put the game away.
“I was a little bit nervous at the end of the game because they put us under a little bit of pressure,” Collins said. “They put three players up top and started playing a bit more direct, and our defenders, who really didn’t have a whole lot to defend all game, had to scramble a little bit more in those last five, 10 minutes, but I thought they handled the pressure well.”
If the Blue Jays are to take home the title, they will have to stave off the pressure Melbourne’s free-flowing attack will offer as the Bulldogs brought an end to the run of Orlando Bishop Moore with a 5-0 victory. Callum Wilson scored twice for the Bulldogs, while Ryan Price was instrumental in helping create chances for Melbourne, last season’s Class 6A Florida state champion. Bulldogs coach Jerry McCabe said Wilson and Price’s strength made them hard to handle defensively.
“They’re both very strong on the ball, and you can’t move them, they can hold it up under pressure,” McCabe said. “That allows us to get the midfield in on the attack. Ryan did a very good job, good first touch, keep the possession, keep the ball moving tonight, held it up long enough for guys to make runs, and then Callum was getting on the other end of things and finishing things off.”
So now, the two teams that most expected to meet in the final will get the opportunity to face off for the championship.
“Once we decided to come here, we wanted to make it as far as we could,” Collins said. “Obviously, we’re delighted to be in the final.”
“This was one of our major goals in the season,” Blue Jays coach Hubie Collins said. “We knew we were coming to this even four months ago, before our season even began. I know our players were very focused on it, we knew there was going to be great competition down here, we knew we were going to play some great teams, and that’s what we wanted to do.”
On Tuesday night, the Blue Jays, who edged up to No.5 in the ESPN Fab 50 earlier in the day, advanced to the Classic final, a 2-0 victory against Countryside setting up a game against No.24 Melbourne on Wednesday at noon at the Ed Radice Sports Complex.
The victory could have been a far easier one for the Blue Jays, who struggled with their finishing throughout the game, Patrick Culotta having a good chance saved and Alex Petrou putting the rebound wide early. Blue Jays standout junior Steven Cabos gave his side the lead in the 29th minute, though, rifling home a shot from 25 yards into the right corner of the net.
The Cougars had been concerned about fatigue, having played a tough game earlier against Palm Harbor to advance to the semifinals, and that proved to be a valid concern as they struggled for the most part to find a rhythm, allowing Jesuit numerous opportunities.
The Blue Jays were unable to take advantage of them, though, and with just under 15 minutes to go the Cougars almost tied the game as Mike Lion’s sweeping pass from the center found an unmarked Zack Shriver breaking in on the left. Shriver moved in and juked past the goalkeeper, only to see his shot find the side-netting.
“Nine time out of 10 he finishes that ball, he’s a solid player,” Countryside assistant coach Colby Beckman said. “Unfortunately, I thought tonight wasn’t right for us, it wasn’t our night.”
The Cougars continued to press forwards, and gave the Blue Jays some anxious moments at the back as they went to three attackers to press for the equalizer. With 10 minutes to go, there was a brief stoppage as one of the sets of floodlights went out on the field, but the lights didn’t go out on the Cougars hopes until four minutes remained. After a foul just inside the Countryside half was quickly taken by the Blue Jays down the right to Andrew Moise, he got in behind the Cougars defense, and centered across the top of the six-yard box to Culotta, who controlled and then shot home to put the game away.
“I was a little bit nervous at the end of the game because they put us under a little bit of pressure,” Collins said. “They put three players up top and started playing a bit more direct, and our defenders, who really didn’t have a whole lot to defend all game, had to scramble a little bit more in those last five, 10 minutes, but I thought they handled the pressure well.”
If the Blue Jays are to take home the title, they will have to stave off the pressure Melbourne’s free-flowing attack will offer as the Bulldogs brought an end to the run of Orlando Bishop Moore with a 5-0 victory. Callum Wilson scored twice for the Bulldogs, while Ryan Price was instrumental in helping create chances for Melbourne, last season’s Class 6A Florida state champion. Bulldogs coach Jerry McCabe said Wilson and Price’s strength made them hard to handle defensively.
“They’re both very strong on the ball, and you can’t move them, they can hold it up under pressure,” McCabe said. “That allows us to get the midfield in on the attack. Ryan did a very good job, good first touch, keep the possession, keep the ball moving tonight, held it up long enough for guys to make runs, and then Callum was getting on the other end of things and finishing things off.”
So now, the two teams that most expected to meet in the final will get the opportunity to face off for the championship.
“Once we decided to come here, we wanted to make it as far as we could,” Collins said. “Obviously, we’re delighted to be in the final.”
Preps: Countryside advances past Palm Harbor, Land O' Lakes falls late
TAMPA – Countryside scored twice in the first 10 minutes and then held off a strong Palm Harbor rally in the second half to advance to the semifinals of the High School Soccer Classic at the Ed Radice Sports Complex on Tuesday afternoon.
The Cougars capitalized on a pair of errors by the Hurricanes to jump out in front quickly, Max Seijo and Zack Schriver finding the net for a 2-0 lead. Countryside assistant coach Colby Beckman, filling in for Coach Dave Sica, said his side had made an adjustment to its starting formation that paid big dividends.
“We decided we wanted to push an extra guy forward,” Beckman said. “Not play out normal flat back four to try and jump on them early, that was the idea to put them on their heels, and luckily our guys were skilled enough to do it.”
Countryside’s Jagger Martinez added a third for the Cougars early in the second half, but the Hurricanes roared back getting goals from P.J. McDonald and Ben Sweat to make the score 3-2. Palm Harbor coach Alex Delgado said he thought the introduction of Austin Sweat gave his side the lift it needed.
“He came in, and he sparked the whole comeback, I think,” Delgado said. “He came in and changed things around.”
Beckman said he thought as the second half wore on his side played more not to lose than to win, but the Cougars were able to add an insurance goal just before the final whistle, Martinez’s second of the game, that allowed them to move on.
Countryside will face New Orleans Jesuit in the semifinals, but after a challenging week that has seen a lot of things go against the Cougars, Beckman is looking forward to another big challenge.
“A great side, it’ll be a great test for our team to see if we can fight through the tired legs,” Beckman said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity.”
Land O’ Lakes could, and likely should, have joined the Cougars in the semifinals, but after creating the better chances and controlling the majority of play in the second half against Orlando Bishop Moore, the Gators allowed a late goal to give the Hornets a 2-1 victory.
Land O’ Lakes fell behind early, and was not playing up to its normal standard, but the Gators got back on level terms just before halftime as Jake Frahm scored on a brilliant strike from 25 yards out to make the score 1-1 at the break.
The Gators then had opportunities to take the lead in the second half, but a pair of good headers went over the bar, as did a pair of shots, and Andrew Garcia may have been guilty of a little too much unselfishness as he passed up a good shooting opportunity after beating his man to try and set up Frankie Villar instead, the opportunity ending up going to waste.
That came back to haunt the Gators late, as an indecisive piece of defending allowed speedy Bishop Moore forward Steven Taylor to pick up possession and break in on goal. Land O’ Lakes goalkeeper Kody Parker got a hand to the shot to try and turn it wide, but saw it deflect in off the left post, sending the Hornets through.
Bishop Moore will face Melbourne in the semifinals after the Bulldogs scored three goals in the first half to romp past an Orlando Dr. Phillips side that was reduced to 10 men before the break.
The Cougars capitalized on a pair of errors by the Hurricanes to jump out in front quickly, Max Seijo and Zack Schriver finding the net for a 2-0 lead. Countryside assistant coach Colby Beckman, filling in for Coach Dave Sica, said his side had made an adjustment to its starting formation that paid big dividends.
“We decided we wanted to push an extra guy forward,” Beckman said. “Not play out normal flat back four to try and jump on them early, that was the idea to put them on their heels, and luckily our guys were skilled enough to do it.”
Countryside’s Jagger Martinez added a third for the Cougars early in the second half, but the Hurricanes roared back getting goals from P.J. McDonald and Ben Sweat to make the score 3-2. Palm Harbor coach Alex Delgado said he thought the introduction of Austin Sweat gave his side the lift it needed.
“He came in, and he sparked the whole comeback, I think,” Delgado said. “He came in and changed things around.”
Beckman said he thought as the second half wore on his side played more not to lose than to win, but the Cougars were able to add an insurance goal just before the final whistle, Martinez’s second of the game, that allowed them to move on.
Countryside will face New Orleans Jesuit in the semifinals, but after a challenging week that has seen a lot of things go against the Cougars, Beckman is looking forward to another big challenge.
“A great side, it’ll be a great test for our team to see if we can fight through the tired legs,” Beckman said. “We’re looking forward to the opportunity.”
Land O’ Lakes could, and likely should, have joined the Cougars in the semifinals, but after creating the better chances and controlling the majority of play in the second half against Orlando Bishop Moore, the Gators allowed a late goal to give the Hornets a 2-1 victory.
Land O’ Lakes fell behind early, and was not playing up to its normal standard, but the Gators got back on level terms just before halftime as Jake Frahm scored on a brilliant strike from 25 yards out to make the score 1-1 at the break.
The Gators then had opportunities to take the lead in the second half, but a pair of good headers went over the bar, as did a pair of shots, and Andrew Garcia may have been guilty of a little too much unselfishness as he passed up a good shooting opportunity after beating his man to try and set up Frankie Villar instead, the opportunity ending up going to waste.
That came back to haunt the Gators late, as an indecisive piece of defending allowed speedy Bishop Moore forward Steven Taylor to pick up possession and break in on goal. Land O’ Lakes goalkeeper Kody Parker got a hand to the shot to try and turn it wide, but saw it deflect in off the left post, sending the Hornets through.
Bishop Moore will face Melbourne in the semifinals after the Bulldogs scored three goals in the first half to romp past an Orlando Dr. Phillips side that was reduced to 10 men before the break.
Monday, December 21, 2009
Preps: Countryside takes advantage of opportunity, will face Palm Harbor in Classic quarterfinals
TAMPA – After seeing Orangewood Christian grab victory late on Saturday afternoon, the potential for Countryside to reach the knock-out stages of the High School Soccer Classic appeared dim.
But a 3-1 win by Gulf Breeze against Orangewood opened the door for the Cougars, and a pair of second half strikes by Max Seijo allowed them to walk right through, a 3-1 win moving Countryside into the tournament quarterfinals on goal difference and a game against Palm Harbor on Tuesday at noon.
“The guys fought really hard,” assistant coach Colby Beckman said. Beckman and the remaining Countryside assistants were present in place of head coach Dave Sica, who was ejected from Friday night’s regular season game against East Lake. “Max has been a great player. Up top, he holds the ball up very well, and some of the finishing has been where he has struggled lately, but he showed the type of player he is today.”
The Cougars, who entered the game knowing they needed a two-goal victory to advance, got off to a great start as a counter-attack from a Gulf Breeze corner was finished off by Nino Hadzialic. The Cougars then added a second goal through Seijo, who finished well from inside the penalty area.
Gulf Breeze then pushed forward, knowing just a goal would send it through, and not Countryside, and the Dolphins got their goal shortly after the second half water break. But Seijo added his second with seven minutes to go, finishing a cross by Derya Ekren well to restore the two-goal lead the Cougars needed.
The Cougars will face Pinellas rival Palm Harbor in the quarterfinals, the Hurricanes getting goals from Robby Mattei and Ben Sweat to defeat Clearwater Central Catholic 2-0. Beckman said he was looking forward to taking on a local rival for a place in the semifinals.
“Palm Harbor is nothing new to us,” Beckman said. “We always get up to play those guys, they’ve been a rival since I played here in the early 2000’s. Their coach Alex Delgado is a great friend, and we always enjoy playing Palm Harbor.”
Land O’ Lakes joined the Cougars and Hurricanes in the quarterfinals with an impressive 5-0 victory against Sarasota. Tim Falcon, Nate Dalton, Justin Lyles, Andy Garcia and Evan Reidy all got their names on the scoresheet for the Gators, who will play Orlando Bishop Moore in the quarterfinals.
“We got a lot of people in, got some people some extra playing time and got some rest for the starters,” Gators coach Mark Pearson said. “It was a good team win, we didn’t let down at all, did very well, I was very pleased.”
Orlando Bishop Moore advanced at the expense of Tampa Prep, handing the Terrapins their first loss of the season as goals by Connor Keymont and Claude Daigler gave the Hornets victory. Zack Hebert pulled a goal back with around 20 minutes to go for the Terrapins, but while Jake Peterson and Twain Glaser hit the woodwork late in the first and second half respectively, Terps coach Doug Smith thought the Hornets deserved their win.
“It’s tough to play two games in one day, but we got outworked, particularly in the first half,” Smith said. “We were getting beaten to every ball, every second ball, we were losing all the tackles, and frankly that set the tone for the game. Our effort in the second half was good, and we did do a better job, but it was almost too late by that time to remedy some of the stuff that had happened in the first half.”
Tampa Prep had earlier defeated Gaither in a shootout to eliminate the Cowboys after a goal by Travis Simmons in the 74th minute had given the Terrapins a 2-2 tie in regulation. A victory against the Hornets would have sent the Terps through, but they were unable to find a way to win.
Mitchell came close to joining Pasco county counterpart Land O’ Lakes in the quarterfinals, but lost an early two-goal lead before falling in a penalty shootout to Orlando Dr. Phillips 5-3 after the game ended in a 2-2 tie. With both the Mustangs and Panthers having defeated Jacksonville Stanton Prep, the two teams entered the game tied with three points apiece.
David Vasquez and Max Rockwell had goals within the first six minutes for the Mustangs, but the Panthers rallied through Shawn Moffitt and Devin Boshears to send the game to a shootout. Mustangs coach Oscar Ubillus said he thought his side let down after gaining such a quick two-goal lead.
“Definitely there was,” Ubillus said. “I told them at halftime that might have been the worst thing that could have happened because then they were forced to come out. They got that first goal,not really earned because out ‘keeper made a mistake, and then beat us on a run for the second goal, but they really outplayed us for the rest of the first half.”
Jesuit was eliminated before it took the field on Monday night, New Orleans Jesuit having already won the group with a shootout win against Fort Myers Bishop Verot, but the Tigers did defeat Verot’s shutout streak, earning a 2-0 win in the process. Berkeley Prep had a chance to advance, but dropped an early lead against Melbourne to send the Bulldogs into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win. The Buccaneers managed the same feat against Seminole, holding a 1-0 lead at the break before falling 2-1.
Can't make it to the Ed Radice Sports Complex for today's quarterfinals and semifinals? Just join the Tampa Bay Soccer Blog on Twitter at twitter.com/tbsoccerblog for updates from all of the day's action in the championship bracket.
But a 3-1 win by Gulf Breeze against Orangewood opened the door for the Cougars, and a pair of second half strikes by Max Seijo allowed them to walk right through, a 3-1 win moving Countryside into the tournament quarterfinals on goal difference and a game against Palm Harbor on Tuesday at noon.
“The guys fought really hard,” assistant coach Colby Beckman said. Beckman and the remaining Countryside assistants were present in place of head coach Dave Sica, who was ejected from Friday night’s regular season game against East Lake. “Max has been a great player. Up top, he holds the ball up very well, and some of the finishing has been where he has struggled lately, but he showed the type of player he is today.”
The Cougars, who entered the game knowing they needed a two-goal victory to advance, got off to a great start as a counter-attack from a Gulf Breeze corner was finished off by Nino Hadzialic. The Cougars then added a second goal through Seijo, who finished well from inside the penalty area.
Gulf Breeze then pushed forward, knowing just a goal would send it through, and not Countryside, and the Dolphins got their goal shortly after the second half water break. But Seijo added his second with seven minutes to go, finishing a cross by Derya Ekren well to restore the two-goal lead the Cougars needed.
The Cougars will face Pinellas rival Palm Harbor in the quarterfinals, the Hurricanes getting goals from Robby Mattei and Ben Sweat to defeat Clearwater Central Catholic 2-0. Beckman said he was looking forward to taking on a local rival for a place in the semifinals.
“Palm Harbor is nothing new to us,” Beckman said. “We always get up to play those guys, they’ve been a rival since I played here in the early 2000’s. Their coach Alex Delgado is a great friend, and we always enjoy playing Palm Harbor.”
Land O’ Lakes joined the Cougars and Hurricanes in the quarterfinals with an impressive 5-0 victory against Sarasota. Tim Falcon, Nate Dalton, Justin Lyles, Andy Garcia and Evan Reidy all got their names on the scoresheet for the Gators, who will play Orlando Bishop Moore in the quarterfinals.
“We got a lot of people in, got some people some extra playing time and got some rest for the starters,” Gators coach Mark Pearson said. “It was a good team win, we didn’t let down at all, did very well, I was very pleased.”
Orlando Bishop Moore advanced at the expense of Tampa Prep, handing the Terrapins their first loss of the season as goals by Connor Keymont and Claude Daigler gave the Hornets victory. Zack Hebert pulled a goal back with around 20 minutes to go for the Terrapins, but while Jake Peterson and Twain Glaser hit the woodwork late in the first and second half respectively, Terps coach Doug Smith thought the Hornets deserved their win.
“It’s tough to play two games in one day, but we got outworked, particularly in the first half,” Smith said. “We were getting beaten to every ball, every second ball, we were losing all the tackles, and frankly that set the tone for the game. Our effort in the second half was good, and we did do a better job, but it was almost too late by that time to remedy some of the stuff that had happened in the first half.”
Tampa Prep had earlier defeated Gaither in a shootout to eliminate the Cowboys after a goal by Travis Simmons in the 74th minute had given the Terrapins a 2-2 tie in regulation. A victory against the Hornets would have sent the Terps through, but they were unable to find a way to win.
Mitchell came close to joining Pasco county counterpart Land O’ Lakes in the quarterfinals, but lost an early two-goal lead before falling in a penalty shootout to Orlando Dr. Phillips 5-3 after the game ended in a 2-2 tie. With both the Mustangs and Panthers having defeated Jacksonville Stanton Prep, the two teams entered the game tied with three points apiece.
David Vasquez and Max Rockwell had goals within the first six minutes for the Mustangs, but the Panthers rallied through Shawn Moffitt and Devin Boshears to send the game to a shootout. Mustangs coach Oscar Ubillus said he thought his side let down after gaining such a quick two-goal lead.
“Definitely there was,” Ubillus said. “I told them at halftime that might have been the worst thing that could have happened because then they were forced to come out. They got that first goal,not really earned because out ‘keeper made a mistake, and then beat us on a run for the second goal, but they really outplayed us for the rest of the first half.”
Jesuit was eliminated before it took the field on Monday night, New Orleans Jesuit having already won the group with a shootout win against Fort Myers Bishop Verot, but the Tigers did defeat Verot’s shutout streak, earning a 2-0 win in the process. Berkeley Prep had a chance to advance, but dropped an early lead against Melbourne to send the Bulldogs into the quarterfinals with a 2-1 win. The Buccaneers managed the same feat against Seminole, holding a 1-0 lead at the break before falling 2-1.
Can't make it to the Ed Radice Sports Complex for today's quarterfinals and semifinals? Just join the Tampa Bay Soccer Blog on Twitter at twitter.com/tbsoccerblog for updates from all of the day's action in the championship bracket.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
Preps: Sweat gives Hurricanes opening win; Gators also victorious
TAMPA – Palm Harbor’s Ben Sweat helped get his team off to a good start at the High School Soccer Classic at the Ed Radice Sports Complex as his second-half goal gave the Hurricanes a 1-0 victory against Lake Mary in an entertaining clash on Saturday evening.
Sweat scored in the 60th minute, latching onto a long clearance from goalkeeper Joshua Paul before firing home low past the goalkeeper. That it took so long for either side to score was surprising, for both teams has good opportunities to break the deadlock before Sweat finally did, but Palm Harbor coach Alex Delgado was very happy it was his side that had come out on top.
“We definitely ducked some chances on their part in the first half, and as soon as we scored, there was a great opportunity for them,” Delgado said. “But I told (my players), it seemed like they had exhausted themselves in the first half to get that first goal … They didn’t put their chances away tonight, and a great ball by Josh, our keeper, put Ben in, and he put it away.”
Land O’ Lakes also took victory in its opening game, a first half goal by Tim Falcon proving enough for the Gators to earn a 1-0 victory against Monteverde Academy. Land O’ Lakes coach Mark Pearson was very happy with his side’s performance, especially in the defensive end where the Gators only allowed three shots on goal.
“We played very well,” Pearson said. “It was a great team effort, the kids played fantastic. We knew what to look for coming into the game, and we did everything that we wanted to do. We were unfortunate not to grab another couple of goals late on the counter-attack, but we did everything right for the first game.”
The same could not be said of Gaither, who went behind in a poor first half against Orlando Bishop Moore, and were unable to break down the Hornets tight defense in falling 1-0. Cowboys coach Eris Sims said adjusting from the small high school fields his side had played on throughout this season to the more conventionally-sized pitches at the Radice Complex was an adjustment his side had struggled with.
“It was a fair result, I thought they were a good side, and they deserved to win,” Sims said. “When they play on the small fields in Hillsborough County, you don’t have to run far before the ball's going out of bounds. It was an adjustment we weren’t able to make, I just hope we play better on Monday.”
Seminole also fell, a hat trick by Melbourne’s Ryan Price in the final 20 minutes of the game giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 victory. Melbourne had started the better of the two sides, Price having a volley well saved and hitting the post with another first half effort, but as the game wore on the Warhawks began to come into the game more against the defending Class 6A champions.
In the end, though, Price’s speed and the timing of his runs to beat the Seminole offside trap proved decisive.
“He was the difference in this game, in my opinion,” Seminole coach Rick Masi said. “I thought it was a pretty good game up until that point, but as I was just telling the boys I thought after the second goal we caved in.”
Countryside also fell on a late goal to Orangewood Christian, the Rams earning a 2-1 victory, putting a place for the Cougars in the quarterfinals a long way away.
Sweat scored in the 60th minute, latching onto a long clearance from goalkeeper Joshua Paul before firing home low past the goalkeeper. That it took so long for either side to score was surprising, for both teams has good opportunities to break the deadlock before Sweat finally did, but Palm Harbor coach Alex Delgado was very happy it was his side that had come out on top.
“We definitely ducked some chances on their part in the first half, and as soon as we scored, there was a great opportunity for them,” Delgado said. “But I told (my players), it seemed like they had exhausted themselves in the first half to get that first goal … They didn’t put their chances away tonight, and a great ball by Josh, our keeper, put Ben in, and he put it away.”
Land O’ Lakes also took victory in its opening game, a first half goal by Tim Falcon proving enough for the Gators to earn a 1-0 victory against Monteverde Academy. Land O’ Lakes coach Mark Pearson was very happy with his side’s performance, especially in the defensive end where the Gators only allowed three shots on goal.
“We played very well,” Pearson said. “It was a great team effort, the kids played fantastic. We knew what to look for coming into the game, and we did everything that we wanted to do. We were unfortunate not to grab another couple of goals late on the counter-attack, but we did everything right for the first game.”
The same could not be said of Gaither, who went behind in a poor first half against Orlando Bishop Moore, and were unable to break down the Hornets tight defense in falling 1-0. Cowboys coach Eris Sims said adjusting from the small high school fields his side had played on throughout this season to the more conventionally-sized pitches at the Radice Complex was an adjustment his side had struggled with.
“It was a fair result, I thought they were a good side, and they deserved to win,” Sims said. “When they play on the small fields in Hillsborough County, you don’t have to run far before the ball's going out of bounds. It was an adjustment we weren’t able to make, I just hope we play better on Monday.”
Seminole also fell, a hat trick by Melbourne’s Ryan Price in the final 20 minutes of the game giving the Bulldogs a 3-0 victory. Melbourne had started the better of the two sides, Price having a volley well saved and hitting the post with another first half effort, but as the game wore on the Warhawks began to come into the game more against the defending Class 6A champions.
In the end, though, Price’s speed and the timing of his runs to beat the Seminole offside trap proved decisive.
“He was the difference in this game, in my opinion,” Seminole coach Rick Masi said. “I thought it was a pretty good game up until that point, but as I was just telling the boys I thought after the second goal we caved in.”
Countryside also fell on a late goal to Orangewood Christian, the Rams earning a 2-1 victory, putting a place for the Cougars in the quarterfinals a long way away.
Thursday, December 17, 2009
Preps: Terrapins boys jump into Top 20 of ESPN Rise Poll
Tampa Prep has jumped into the top 20 of ESPN Rise’s Winter soccer rankings, the Terrapins perfect 8-0-0 start to the season landing them at No.17 in the opening regular season list.
Also appearing in the rankings are Jesuit at No.43 and Gaither at No.50. Locals absent from the rankings, though, are current Hillsborough Coaches Poll No.1 Sickles and No.5 Plant City, both of whom have also made undefeated starts to the season.
2009 Class 5A champion Palm Harbor University, who are now in Class 6A are also absent. That is despite a 9-0-1 start to the season, and the No.1 spot in the St. Petersburg Times Pinellas County rankings. Seminole (10-1-2) and Countryside (9-1-0) also missed the cut.
Everyone except for Plant City will have a chance to enhance their reputation beginning this Saturday as they compete at the High School Soccer Classic at the Ed Radice Sports Complex, Jesuit facing No.6-ranked New Orleans Jesuit, Tampa Prep facing Gaither and Seminole facing No.33 Melbourne in the opening round of pool play.
Also appearing in the rankings are Jesuit at No.43 and Gaither at No.50. Locals absent from the rankings, though, are current Hillsborough Coaches Poll No.1 Sickles and No.5 Plant City, both of whom have also made undefeated starts to the season.
2009 Class 5A champion Palm Harbor University, who are now in Class 6A are also absent. That is despite a 9-0-1 start to the season, and the No.1 spot in the St. Petersburg Times Pinellas County rankings. Seminole (10-1-2) and Countryside (9-1-0) also missed the cut.
Everyone except for Plant City will have a chance to enhance their reputation beginning this Saturday as they compete at the High School Soccer Classic at the Ed Radice Sports Complex, Jesuit facing No.6-ranked New Orleans Jesuit, Tampa Prep facing Gaither and Seminole facing No.33 Melbourne in the opening round of pool play.
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