Gators connect in the second half

Land O'Lakes shakes off a first-half tie to win its district.

By DEREK LaRIVIERE Times Correspondent
Published January 27, 2007

LAND O'LAKES - Top-seeded Land O'Lakes tried to overwhelm Wesley Chapel early.

Though they never broke away, the Gators finally put away the Wildcats in the second half to win the game and district 3-1.

"This win is huge for us," said Land O'Lakes coach Mark Pearson, whose team will host their first-round state match.

"We responded well and with composure."

In the first half, Land O'Lakes (20-4-2) organized a constant barrage on the Wesley Chapel net with 15 shots, but thanks to the play of Wildcats keeper Kyle Funkhouser (11 saves) and the rest of the defense, the Gators only came away with one goal.

Senior forward Louis Falcon lined a goal into the left side of the net and just out of the reach of Funkhouser from 25 yards out. The first goal of the contest came midway through the half.

Wesley Chapel (12-6-2) answered only two minutes later with a two-man break. Senior midfielder Daniel Valdez streaked down the near sideline and fed junior forward Jean-Carlo Valdez on a crossing pass to knot the game at 1, which held up at the half.

Less than one minute into the second half, the Gators snapped the tie on a header from Falcon. Sophomore midfielder Sebastian Garcia headed a pass in front of the net to Falcon for the assist.

Garcia assisted on another goal that shut the door on Wesley Chapel with 15 minutes remaining. A short pass in front of the net to junior midfielder Matt Tanner put the game out of reach.

[Last modified January 26, 2007, 22:22:23]