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By LINDA ROTHSTEIN
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 14, 2001
HUDSON -- Hudson said goodbye to its playoff hopes Tuesday after losing 1-0 to Rockledge in the Class 2A, Region 2 semifinals.
Hudson has reached the semifinals four times, the last time in 1999, but has failed to advance any further.
The Cobras generated plenty of offense but fortune was not on their side as several shots hit the posts or bounced off the crossbar.
"No luck," Hudson coach Ron Ladimir said. "Four posts, I think, more shots. Nothing you can do, the kids played hard. It was a good game."
Hudson outshot Rockledge 17-14 and seemed to control the field in the first half. But with less than 10 minutes remaining, Zsan Robinson took a pass from Chris McKinley and kicked it toward the goal. The ball bounced off Hudson's Craig Hanley and went into the goal to give the Raiders the only advantage they would need.
"Sometimes the post helps you, sometimes it hurts you," Rockledge coach Skip Arrich said. "It helped us tonight. The defense just stepped up and did what they had to do. They came up with the big save when they needed to and we got the one goal and it turns out we needed one goal."
The Cobras started off strong when eight-and-a-half minutes into the first half, forward Jarle Thy attempted three successive shots on goal inside the box. The first hit the left post and rebounded back to Thy. The second shot was blocked by the defense and the third sailed over the crossbar.
Rockledge was more aggressive in the second half, but Hudson still had plenty of chances.
Thy grabbed a left corner kick by Davis Hanley early in the second half and sent it toward the goal, but the ball, again, dinged off the crossbar.
Hudson's frustration began to show with about nine minutes remaining in the game when A.J. Larsen got tangled up with Rockledge's Chris Doucette. Larsen kicked at Doucette in anger and was ejected on a red card. Doucette was yellow-carded on a pushing call.
Hudson ends the season with a record 21 wins, seven losses and one tie. Rockledge (16-5-5) will play Bishop Moore in the region final Friday after it defeated Crystal River 4-1.