BROOKSVILLE - Give Nature Coast this much: Its shooting percentage was .500.
Problem was, that came via just four shots. And two goals were not going to get it done Friday afternoon.
Hernando, coming in with a three-game win streak, dominated in its offensive end and won the Class 3A, District 6 game 4-2.
Hernando put 24 shots on goal and would have won by a more convincing margin were it not for Nature Coast's Amber Collard, who played aggressively and made 15 saves.
"It was kind of an off-day for us (finishing)," Hernando coach Kristi Mule said.
Under pleasant mid afternoon conditions, there were three goals within four minutes midway through the first half. In the 15th minute, Hernando senior Katie Pitts scored from 15 yards on the left side ahead of a charging Collard.
Nature Coast tied it a minute later on a penalty kick by Angie Magid after a takedown inside the box. It was the Sharks' only shot of the half.
Hernando (5-3, 4-1 3A-6, 3-1 Gulf Coast Athletic Conference) went up for good two minutes later when Kara Bailey lofted a shot from the top of the penalty box over traffic and Collard.
The Leopards widened the lead to 3-1 one minute into the second half when Danielle Coopman headed in a feed from Lisa Babcock. Then 15 minutes later, they made it 4-1 when Babcock got a free run up the right side and blasted a shot past Collard.
Nature Coast (1-8, 1-4, 0-5) got one goal back, when a rush of attackers got a shot on Hernando goalkeeper Karen Ferrigno. A rebound came to Alyssa Altieri, who finished into an empty net.
"It was an improvement in the way they played," said Nature Coast coach Phil Bennett, comparing the game with a 5-0 defeat at Hernando on Nov. 13. "In the second half, they gave me everything I needed."
