Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
Preps
© St. Petersburg Times, published January 31, 2003
ST. PETERSBURG -- While some teams take the PCAC tournament lightly and think the week would be better spent resting before district tournaments, St. Petersburg and Lakewood don't fall into that category.
In a game that went through four overtimes, St. Petersburg took the South Division title 2-1, winning 5-3 on penalty kicks. The Green Devils will face Palm Harbor University in the PCAC title game today.
The Green Devils made their first penalty kick and the Spartans missed. Down one, Lakewood never had a chance to make up for the miss as St. Petersburg went on to make all of its kicks.
The game was tied 1-1 at the end of regulation. Both goals were scored off mistakes by the other team. Lakewood's Erica Williams scored in the fourth minute when she won a routine ball misplayed in the box by the Green Devils keeper. St. Petersburg benefited from a Lakewood own-goal minutes into the second period.
"Those are the goals that win games," St. Petersburg coach Rui Farias said.
This game was a rematch of last year's South championship that the Green Devils also won on penalty kicks. Earlier this season, the teams tied 0-0.
SEMINOLE -- It's that time of year again. With the playoffs right around the corner, Palm Harbor U. seems to be doing its annual "clicking," according to coach Holly Freeman.
Thursday night, the Hurricanes beat Seminole 3-1 in the North final.
"The team has been turning it on, and when they click, they are hard to beat," Freeman said.
The Hurricanes (13-4-1) turned it on in the second half after a scoreless first half. Seven minutes in, Kaylyn Smith played a cross to Annie Stalzer who knocked in the first goal from the middle of the box. Twelve minutes later, Stalzer put PHU up two with her second goal, assisted by Sara Stack.
The Warhawks (17-3-2) answered with a score from Regan Riley shortly after, but a third Palm Harbor goal by Arielle Orr with 10 minutes remaining put the game out of reach.
-- ERIC MUSKATEVC