Panther Kyle Davis' perfect goal knocks Springstead out of the postseason.
By JOHN SCHWARB
Published February 21, 2004
SPRING HILL - Kyle Davis settled the ball with a step, turned and fired without more than a split-second's look at the goal.
"I put up a lucky, once-in-a-lifetime shot if you want to put it like that," the Lecanto senior forward said.
Okay Kyle, that works for us.
With that one shot - a perfect left footer from 20 yards to the top right of the goal, a shot almost no goalie would have touched - Lecanto downed Springstead 1-0 in Friday's Class 4A region final and earned its first trip to the state tournament.
Lecanto play Tallahassee Leon on Friday in the state semifinals.
"I don't know what to say ... yay?" Lecanto coach Doug Warren said.
Sure, that works, too. Certainly after a tough region run that concluded with a familiar foe.
Lecanto played Springstead three times before Friday, the last time Feb. 6 in the district final. Springstead won 3-2, handing Lecanto its first loss of the season and requiring the Panthers to hit the road for a chance to go to state.
Lecanto (24-1-1) answered at every stop: 5-2 at Hudson, 4-1 at Auburndale and with the clincher at Springstead.
The host Eagles (20-2-2) had powered through the postseason by scoring first and early against Gulf and Freedom, but Lecanto turned the tables with Davis's goal in the eighth minute.
"We were all shocked," Springstead senior Devin Shaw said. "It was a great play by Davis - turn, shoot, nothing the goalie could have done about it."
Springstead had several quality chances of its own to tie the game, but Lecanto goalie Chris Thomashunis came through. With 15 minutes left Ian Wald hammered a direct kick from 25 yards to the bottom right of the net, and it appeared to go in under the keeper.
But as Wald retreated to celebrate and Eagles reserves rose off the bench, Thomashunis got up ... with the ball.
Springstead was shut out for the third time all season. Its two losses were both to Lecanto.
"They took districts from us, there was no way in heck they were taking this game from us," Davis said. "That loss was actually a good thing, because we built off it, we knew we weren't invincible."
