Springstead has upset in mind

By BRANT JAMES

© St. Petersburg Times, published February 6, 2001

SPRING HILL -- Springstead coach John Bifulco knows how much Citrus wants revenge tonight in their region quarterfinal game.

He knows the Hurricanes will expect to win at home. He knows his Eagles will be perceived as wobbling after falling 3-2 to Zephyrhills in the District 8 championship. Bifulco's reaction: good, good and good.

"I'm glad about all that stuff," Bifulco said. "Once again, we're the big underdog. We would have been anyway, but especially after Zephyrhills."

Citrus (20-1-3), the District 7 champion, has been chaffing for a rematch since Springstead ruined the Hurricanes' perfect season with a 3-2 victory Jan. 17. The 'Canes had thumped the Eagles 6-0 earlier in the season.

Bifulco thinks Springstead (13-4-3) could chafe them again if three factors go in his favor. First, he said, the "good team, not the not-so-good team," has to de-bus.

"We are so inconsistent," Bifulco said. "I knew right away the not-so-good bunch showed up against Zephyrhills. I could tell in the first five minutes."

Which ever team arrives will have to overcome the bane of the Springstead boys and girls teams -- Citrus' rough and narrow field. For a Springstead girls squad that relies on speed and passing, a constricted, bumpy surface is a marked disadvantage.

"That's one of the worst pitches in this part of the state," Bifulco said. "In that 6-0 game, we did not have room to do anything up there. We have to find some way to compensate for (the field)."

Also of great importance will be containing the Hurricanes' dynamic midfielder -- Amber Presnick. Bifulco assigned his top player -- senior Amie Farrell -- to her in the 2-1 match, and she held Presnick to one goal. Presnick can expect to see Farrell's red locks in her area all night.

"It's a challenge," Farrell said. "It's like playing in club. You don't find too many players in high school with ball skills like her."

Farrell, who leads Springstead with 17 goals, will have to find a balance between marking Presnick and creating scoring opportunities against a stingy defense. "I'll have to make the runs with her on defense, but pick and chose my runs on offense," Farrell said. "If I make every run both ways, I won't be able to go 80 minutes."

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