DADE CITY - It was a season of firsts for Pasco, which enjoyed its first 15-win season, its first district title and its first playoff victory.
On Tuesday, the Pirates got their first taste of how quickly the playoffs can humble a successful team. Pasco did not manage a single shot on goal in a 3-0 loss to Orlando Lake Highland Prep at W.F. Edwards Stadium.
"It's really tough. We weren't expecting it to end this way, but we got beaten by a better team," said Pirates coach Wardell Powell, whose team was outshot 25-0 and was unable to put together any organized attack in a game spent almost entirely on its side of the field. "Our midfielders couldn't get that spark to get anything to our forwards, and they pretty much did a good job on us."
Lake Highland (19-6-3) opened the scoring eight minutes into the game, when Melissa St. James took a loose ball, beat one defender and tapped a shot past Pirates keeper Tori Schrader. Schrader kept Pasco in the game for nearly a half, until Jessica Lewis gave Lake Highland a 2-0 lead seven minutes into the second half. Valorie O'Brien closed the scoring with a wicked curling shot from 35 yards out three minutes later. Schrader finished with 13 saves.
"If it wasn't for her, we wouldn't be here now - she pretty much saved us," Powell said.
Lake Highland Prep, which has only one senior on the roster, travels to face Melbourne Central Catholic, a defending state champion that advanced with a 7-1 win Tuesday against Hernando. Pasco (15-7-1) has only three seniors and will return the county's leading scorer in junior Jami Pass.
"It was a good game, and Pasco fought pretty hard," coach Tino Rodrigues said. "They gave a good battle. They have a couple of good players, and their keeper did a great job."
