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Prep soccer notebook

By Times staff writers
© St. Petersburg Times
published February 13, 2002

Seminole moves on

BRADENTON -- Amid the sea of humanity parked in front of her, Seminole goalkeeper Nikki Paquette took all the help she could get -- goalposts, teammates' ankles, whatever.

Thankfully for her, everything worked down the stretch. The Warhawks survived a late flurry by Bradenton Lakewood Ranch to win 1-0 Tuesday.

Seminole (20-3-1) advances to Friday's regional final against Durant, which beat Palm Harbor U. 1-0.

After a slow start, Lakewood Ranch (14-5-5) came alive in the final 20 minutes, taking five corner kicks and peppering the Warhawks with eight shots. But Paquette, a junior, brushed everything aside even as matters got ugly in the box.

"One time, when I was on the ground, a girl pulled my hair and pulled me off the ball," Paquette said. "I could not see in that traffic. I was just hoping my defense was going to clear it out for me."

Seminole's goal came six minutes into the game, when senior Kelly Gavaghan tipped in a high cross from the right side by Heeda McAuley.

"Judging from the first half, I thought we'd get another goal or two. Then it came down to a battle," Seminole coach Steve Kuplicki said. "But Nikki did it."

-- JOHN SCHWARB

Durant blanks Hurricanes

DURANT -- After failing to make it out of its district last season, Durant is a game away from a trip to the state final four after a 1-0 win over Palm Harbor University.

The unbeaten Cougars (26-0-2) will host Seminole, a 1-0 winner over Bradenton Lakewood Ranch, in Friday's regional final.

Mandy Anton scored the game's lone goal in the 66th minute when her shot off Beth Outlaw's cross was deflected into the goal off defender Colleen Sweeney.

Durant coach Dick Sheffield said it was payback for an own goal the Cougars gave up in a 1-0 loss to the Hurricanes in last season's opener.

The Hurricanes came out firing in the first half. Goalkeeper Jackie Hinton was forced to come up with some saves, something she has not had to do often this season. The Cougars, meanwhile, were held without a shot until Brittany Tortorella's near-miss in the 23rd minute.

In the second half, though, Durant began to take charge, outshooting the Hurricanes 7-2. Sheffield credited his midfield for controlling play during the second half, leading up to the winning score.

"Our outside midfielders work so hard defensively that other teams rarely get any chances," he said, referring to Anton, Tortorella, and Alicia Terelli. "They run up and down the entire game between the 18s, which is not easy to do. They are our unsung heroes."

Palm Harbor ended what might have been a rebuilding season with a respectable 12-7-1 mark. Afterward, coach Holly Freeman tried to console stellar senior midfielder Kelly Kuenning, who led the team with 19 goals this season.

"I really thought tonight it could have gone either way," Freeman said.

"I told (Kuenning) and the girls, if you play as hard as you can during the game, there's no reason to cry afterward. And I think they played their hardest."

-- JEREMY RASMUSSEN

Lakewood drills Southeast 6-2

ST. PETERSBURG -- Pick a way to score and Lakewood's Jenny Borschel did it in the first half Tuesday night.

The junior forward scored the game's first three goals to lead the Spartans to a 6-2 victory against Bradenton Southeast (13-12-1).

"I felt pretty good and my shots were on," Borschel said. "It was important to get up early and I tried to help out."

Borschel scored off an assist from Erica Williams, an unassisted goal from 25 yards and a header to put Lakewood (18-6-1) ahead 3-0 at halftime.

"That was monumental for us," Spartans coach Darlene Lebo said. "They weren't really challenging her and she kept going all the way. It was definitely the best half she's played all year."

In the second half, Lebo switched Borschel from forward to midfielder to mark Southeast's top scorer, Whitney Sanders.

The strategy kept the shutout alive until midway through the second half when Melissa Holcomb and Sanders each scored within a five-minute span.

Lakewood's Morgan Roy, Abby Harms and Suzi Herbert each had goals to round out the scoring. Harms' and Herbert's goals came during the last 30 seconds of regulation.

-- BOB PUTNAM

Barons' season ends in Lakeland

LAKELAND -- Lakeland Christian was too fast and too skilled for St. Petersburg Catholic, dominating the second half in a 4-1 win.

The Barons had just one good shot in the final 40 minutes, five for the game, and every slim opening they had was quickly shut down by a swarming and physical Vikings defense.

"Their speed was a surprise," senior forward Kirby Meehan said. "They were marking us really well and they had quick feet."

The Barons (23-4-1) scored on Amy Gaull's goal in the eighth minute to tie the game, but allowed the Vikings to take a 2-1 lead at halftime when a Sarah Brady save lingered in the box too long and was booted in by Laura Bowers.

Ten minutes into the second half, Kalie Estrada beat Brady to a loose ball for another goal as Lakeland Christian (23-4-1) went ahead 3-1.

"That third goal was a real crusher," said Barons coach D'Arcy Clarie. "I told the girls on the way up here (to give them) two goals, we could handle ... but not three."

-- JOHN C. COTEY

CC Catholic adjusts in 1-0 win

CLEARWATER -- Jessica Hallgren wasn't supposed to play. Nicole Matuska wasn't supposed to get injured. And Jasmine Johnson isn't really a goalkeeper.

But Clearwater Central Catholic has learned to adjust and it showed in a 1-0 win over Fort Myers Bishop Verot.

Hallgren, who injured her right ankle in the regional quarterfinal, didn't play the first 25 minutes but became the hero when she scored the winner with 11 minutes remaining.

Hallgren faked left then cut right to beat defender Deena Shawley before she blasted a shot from 10 yards into the left corner of the goal.

"I wanted to cut to my left because I wasn't sure I could plant on my right," Hallgren said. "There were so many things going through my mind, like my ankle, getting taken down from behind. I was trying to be a little cautious."

Matuska and Johnson led the defense. Matuska made several key plays at sweeper before she injured her right shin in a collision in front of the goal with 16 minutes left.

Johnson was also injured in the collision and left briefly while Apryl Wall played keeper. Johnson, filling in for injured Kristen Leyshock, made 12 saves.

CCC (22-2-2) will play at Lakeland Christian on Friday night in the regional final.

-- RODNEY PAGE

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