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Girls Soccer: Newsome Falls in Sarasota Final

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By JARRETT GUTHRIE

Tribune Correspondent

Published: December 22, 2008

SARASOTA - The Newsome High girls soccer team and Ft. Lauderdale Cardinal Gibbons matched up well on defense in Saturday's final of the Elite division of the Sarasota Sailor Holiday Classic.

So well in fact, the defenses seemed mirror images of each other in stinginess. Gibbons (15-0-1) defenders Nicole Grunwald, Kiera Moran and Merrideth Delinos and Newsome's (16-4) Kayli Kishel, Morgan Sammons and Samantha Simpson stifled the opposing offenses and any runs and setups attempted.

However, fatigue in the four-game, 24-hour tournament snuck up on the Wolves and Cardinal Gibbons capitalized ending the match in 58 seconds of overtime with a golden goal by forward Brittany D'Annunzio winning, 1-0.

Wolves' coach Kelly Townsend made no excuses, but said fatigue was certainly a factor: "It's a long game and running for 80 minutes you're bound to get tired."

The lone goal came on a left foot put in by D'Annunzio to the near post as she separated herself from defenders and struck a shot Newsome keeper Teena Fehling had no chance on.

After the match, Townsend said she was "pleased" with her teams play in the tournament, especially the play of her defense.

"Our defense definitely stepped up, but that is what (our defense) does when we need it to," Townsend said. "They are our solid, go-to people."

Chiefs coach Margo Flack was equally praising of her defense.

"Our defense is our foundation," Flack said. "We never sub our defense they are always together and we look them to keep us in there."

The fatigue of the Wolves came to a head with senior Ana Cate sitting the final 14 minutes of regulation due to fatigue. With Cate out Newsome's style of play is definitely changed. However, the defense of the Wolves was solid allowing only five shots on goal.

"Ana is a leader on and off of the field, she is the glue that holds our offense together connecting our offense and our defense," Townsend said. "We are a lot weaker in the middle without her."

Cate otherwise was solid in the tournament as she was present everywhere on the field and clearly riled her opponents.

"She's been in clear control of every match we've played this weekend," Townsend said of Cate. "We are a lot weaker in the middle with out her."

PLANT 1, BLOOMINGDALE 0
For the second straight year in the tournament, the Panthers were eliminated from the final without losing a match after tying Cardinal Gibbons, but losing on goals scored differential in pool play.

However, Plant (13-1) did not leave the tournament empty handed picking up a big 1-0 win against Bloomingdale (9-2-1). On Nov. 10, the Bulls handed Plant its only loss of the season, but a Connor Zwetsch goal in the 71st minute in Saturday's match equaled the season series. Plant coach Stephen McGill said Zwetsch's goal was just what his team needed heading into the final weeks of the season.

"Connor is always superb," McGill said. "You can't let her shoot, because she only had two shots but she just can't be stopped."
"It got to the point in the second half where she decided she wanted to win this thing."

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