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The Panthers are still winless against the Hurricanes after Friday night's 4-0 loss.
By CAREY FREEMAN, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 12, 2002
INVERNESS -- After squeaking out a one-goal win in its first meeting with Lecanto this season, Citrus left no doubts the second time. Paced by two goals from Sonya Segars and a stifling effort from its midfield and defense, Citrus rolled over the Panthers 4-0 on Friday at Citrus and clinched the top spot in next month's Class 2A, District 7 tournament.
"We had heard them talking a little trash and we wanted to show them we were better than them," said Hurricanes midfielder Amber Presnick, who had an assist and was a dominant force throughout the midfield.
"We were just ready to win. There's no way they were going to beat us."
Lecanto (10-4-1 overall, 5-2-1 in 2A-7) has never beaten Citrus and it doesn't look like the trend will end any time soon.
The Hurricanes (13-1-1, 9-0) peppered Panthers goalkeeper Trisha Chenoweth in the first game and did it again Friday, outshooting Lecanto 26-3.
The Panthers, in fact, didn't register their first shot until the 19th minute and managed only one shot in the second half.
Citrus and Segars opened the scoring in the ninth minute when Julia Brandtner beat a Lecanto defender on the left sideline and crossed the ball in front of the goal. Chenoweth (15 saves) managed to get a hand on the cross, but not enough to keep it away from Segars, who hammered it home for a 1-0 lead.
Segars almost had her second goal when she broke free inside the Lecanto penalty box in the 25th minute and leveled two shots directly at Chenoweth. The Lecanto keeper managed to deflect both, only to see Jessica Macdonald scoop up the loose ball and tap home her 19th goal of the season for a 2-0 margin.
Citrus made it 3-0 in the opening minute of the second half, when Presnick dribbled the ball deep into Lecanto territory, pulled up and delivered a perfect cross to Amanda Yoder, who one-timed it home from 20 yards. "We were more aggressive. We had a lot more passing opportunities and we passed it well," said Segars, who added her 11th goal of the season on a breakaway in the final minute.