The Warhawks stop St. Petersburg 3-0 to win the PCAC championship.
By LAURA LEE
Published January 31, 2004
ST. PETERSBURG - Seminole missed shot after shot after shot. One skirted past the goal post. Another skipped on top of the crossbar. Others were off by mere inches.
Frustrating, maybe, but at least the Warhawks were getting chances. St. Petersburg had one.
Seminole (17-5-4) beat St. Petersburg (9-4-4) 3-0 in Friday's Pinellas County Athletic Conference championship. The Warhawks maintained possession for much of the game, diminishing the chances for the Green Devils to get much going.
Up by one at the half on a goal from Stephen Rudenis, Seminole scored 12 minutes into the second to pull away. Kyle Urquhart punched the ball into an open net after a corner kick from Richard Legg bounced off teammate Joey Brown's back and was deflected by St. Petersburg keeper Alex Bower's hands.
Still, St. Petersburg coach Dave Williams paced the sideline, telling his team there was plenty of time to come back. But the chances didn't come.
In the first half, Desmond Keane lined up for a shot near the 18 and slipped on the wet grass, missing the ball. In the second, a Green Devil header on an open goal flew out of bounds. Morgan Riley scored Seminole's third goal in the final minute.
Seminole coach Rick Masi said he was proud of the team's effort but wished it would have capitalized more on its opportunities.
"We left a lot on the table," Masi said. "If we're going to advance, we can't do that."
This matchup could be repeated in Friday's Class 5A, District 10 final. Seminole and St. Petersburg are the No. 1 and 2 seeds in the tournament. Although Seminole has beaten the Green Devils twice this season, it's a game Masi said he isn't looking forward to.
"It's going to be harder to beat them a third time," Masi said.
St. Petersburg is hoping to get at least one more shot at Seminole.
