Pasco: They missed it by that much

They missed it by that much

By STEVE LEE, Times Staff Writer

NEW PORT RICHEY -- West Pasco's Under-10 boys competitive soccer team knows what it's like to lose a close one.

The Thunder entered Monday's division final of the ninth annual West Pasco Thunder Labor Day International tournament with a 3-0 overtime mark in tournament championships this season. A 5-4 loss to Oldsmar left West Pasco on the other end for the first time in 2001-2002.

"Usually, our kids will find a way to keep it close," West Pasco coach Scott Barfield said. "Any time a team beats us I congratulate them, because they've beaten a quality team."

Tied at 4, Oldsmar won by outscoring West Pasco 3-1 on penalty kicks. Lane Miller, who shared time in the net with Ben Kremer, scored the lone PK. Tyler Best, who scored a team-high 12 goals in the series, Josh Berres, Tyler Barfield and Ryan O'Hearn scored in regulation.

Matt Gulau and Adnon Baset each had five goals to lead the Thunder to a 5-1 series mark. Berres, O'Hearn and Barfield contributed four goals apiece.

Coach Barfield did not feel the championship game should have come down to the wire. West Pasco had a 26-14 shot advantage.

"It was just one of those games," Barfield said. "We really outplayed those guys. We must have missed six opportunities by no more than a foot."

Of the 10 West Pasco teams in 13 division finals, three won championships. In all, 83 teams competed in the three-day tournament played at the Holiday Recreation Complex and W.H. Jack Mitchell Memorial Park.

"That's pretty good," West Pasco director Steve Emerson said of the number of local teams playing for titles. "We kept it right there. We just couldn't finish. All my teams gave it a good fight."

The three division titles match West Pasco's output in last season's Labor Day tourney.

Goals by Tanner Cummings, Patrick O'Shaugnessy and Johnny McGroary led West Pasco's U-9 boys to a 3-1 win over Dunedin. Keeper Matt Cummings earned the win, avenging a 7-1 opening-round loss to Dunedin.

Andrew Falcon's penalty kick and keeper Dan Calabrese's shutout keyed West Pasco's 1-0 win over Hernando for the U-19 boys title. Calabrese had two shutouts and allowed three goals, backstopping the Thunder to a 5-0 series record.

In the U-12 boys final, Joel Siehien had West Pasco's lone goal in a 3-1 loss to Countryside.

West Pasco's Taylor Watson was the only other player in that division to score against unbeaten Countryside (4-0). That goal, set up by Jack Paris, came in a 4-1 loss.

West Pasco defeated Brandon 3-1 for the U-10 girls crown. Jenny Karl, Erica Peworcik and Chantal Gendebien scored. Keeper Alicia Schulman earned the win.

TRIPLE GOLD: Chad Florin's three gold medals led a contingent of nine Ingram's Karate medalists last month in the Junior Olympics at Knoxville, Tenn.

Florin earned gold medals in fighting, forms and weapons. In June, Florin also won three golds at the Amateur Athletic Union Championships in Salt Lake City.

Other Junior Olympic medalists from the New Port Richey school were: gold medalist Parks Florin; silver medalists Kaylynn Newman and Fred Heidgerken; and bronze medalists Eddie Bennett, Heather Johnson, Dana Orlando, Ashley Newman and Junior Sears.

NOT TOO LATE: Hudson Youth Soccer is conducting a late registration Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., at Veteran's Memorial Park off Hicks Road. For information, call (727) 861-2687.