Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
The 'Canes will face the Eagles after beating Pasco 5-1. Tarpon Springs falls to Ridgewood 3-0.
By STEVE LEE, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 3, 2002
NEW PORT RICHEY -- Palm Harbor University's reward for keeping its unbeaten record intact in Wednesday's Ridgewood Winter Soccer Tournament is a game against another unbeaten squad.
The Hurricanes (10-0-2) defeated Pasco 5-1 in the opening round of the series to set up today's 8 p.m. game against Springstead (12-0-1), a 1-0 winner over Gulf and the only other unbeaten team in the eight-team field.
PHU broke open a close game with three unanswered goals in the second half to beat Pasco (5-7-1).
James Erigo led the Hurricanes with two goals. Craig Oakley, Mike Simpson and Cliff Cole each added a goal.
Tarpon Springs, the other Pinellas County team in the tournament, lost 3-0 to host Ridgewood and plays Central today at 2 p.m.
With Ridgewood leading 1-0 on Jose Anazco's goal, Tarpon Springs nearly got the equalizer off a goal-mouth scramble in the 34th minute. But defender Dan Druttman, who later was carted off in an ambulance with a concussion, kicked away a close-in bid by Jeff Matos.
Just seconds before halftime, the Rams (6-6-3) scored an insurance goal when Demos Kalathakis lofted a shot over the head of Spongers keeper Mitch Walker.
Tarpon Springs (5-7-2) was missing five players due to winter vacations.
That group included starters Colin Revell, the team's leading scorer with nine goals, sweeper Cory Drescher and Jeremy Voulgarakis.
"It's unbelievable when you're missing your best starter up front and your best starter in back," Spongers coach John Freiermuth said.
Each team played a man down after the midway point of the first half when Tarpon Springs' Jon Overson and Ridgewood's Joe Panetta were issued red cards.
Ridgewood went 3-0 in last year's inaugural tournament and Rams coach Ed McComiskey said his team is in prime position to defend its title.
"We're the defending champions," McComiskey said. "The guys want to win this one again. They knew they had to win tonight to go through."
In the tournament opener, Springstead's Jordan Magrini scored with 10 minutes left in the game to lift the Eagles (12-0-1) to a 1-0 win against Gulf (11-4-3).
In the other first-round game, Wesley Chapel beat Central 2-1.
Stephen Ryan and Patrick Lane scored goals in the first half for Wesley Chapel with Lane getting an assist on Ryan's goal.
Wildcats keeper Gilbert Montelongo, who has been slowed after hernia surgery, made 11 saves on 13 shots.
"I think he had his best game of the year," Wesley Chapel coach Tim Reardon said of Montelongo.