Boys soccer: Host Hurricanes reclaim title

By BRYAN BURNS
Published January 12, 2008

PALM HARBOR - With 31 minutes remaining in the Hurricane Watch championship between host Palm Harbor University and defending champion Countryside, the Hurricanes looked up at the scoreboard and saw an unfamiliar sight.

Thanks to an Ethan Deweerd goal for Countryside on a rebound off PHU goalie Max Gallin (two saves), the Hurricanes trailed for just the second time all year and the only time after halftime.

The hangover lasted all of one minute. With PHU putting heavy pressure on the Countryside goal, Matthew Tobin dove to his hands and knees to reach a low cross and head it into the net to tie it at one.

Sixteen minutes later, Michael Addonisio watched a corner from Tobin harmlessly skip to him through about six pairs of legs in front of the box and calmly one-timed the ball past Countryside freshman goalie Hunter Maricle (seven saves) to give the Hurricanes a 2-1 victory and the tournament championship.

"We haven't really been tested that much this year," PHU coach Alex Delgado said. "This game, and this atmosphere, and this team that we played was perfect. It was what we needed. We were tested, we were challenged, and we stepped up to the plate."

The winner for Addonisio was only his third goal of the year.

"It found him," Delgado said. "Mike Addonisio has had a couple of those this year. He was in the right place at the right time."

Countryside (8-6-4) had just four shots on goal, but squandered two decent opportunities late in the first that were close to breaking the deadlock before halftime. The Cougars continued clawing in the second half and finally broke through on Deweerd's goal against the run of play before PHU (17-0-2) immediately answered.

"We tell them, the first five minutes of each half, the last five minutes of the game and five minutes after you score you're most vulnerable because you're hyped up, the adrenaline's flowing and you have a tendency to sit back," Countryside coach David Sica said.

In the third-place game, East Lake defeated Mitchell 5-0.

[Last modified January 11, 2008, 23:44:59]