TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Palm Harbor Gets Past East Lake In Class 5A-9

ADVERTISEMENT

By LEE DIEKEMPER Tribune correspondent

Published: January 22, 2008

TARPON SPRINGS - Despite a solid first-half defensive effort by East Lake, Palm Harbor University High rallied to score four unanswered goals, three in the second half, to capture the Class 5A-District 9 girls soccer title Monday, 4-1.

The game originally was scheduled for Saturday evening but was postponed due to inclement weather.

Palm Harbor midfielder Molly Stack scored the last two goals for the Hurricanes (16-1-2) in the final16 minutes. Her shot from the right side from about 25 yards out off a pass from Catherine Brinkman put Palm Harbor up 3-1.

Nearly 10 minutes later, Stack, from a Shannon Healy pass, scored from the right side to put the game away.

Despite most of the first half being played on East Lake's end of the field, the Eagles (14-5-0) forced a halftime tie.

"They have a lot of strong players on defense," Stack said of East Lake. "It was frustrating but if you keep going at it, eventually you are going to get one."

"There really wasn't much to change, I just wanted to make sure they were aware of some things," Palm Harbor coach John Planamenta said of his second-half strategy.

It was the third win by Palm Harbor over East Lake in four meetings this season.

Lelii's Hat Trick Boosts Seminole

ST. PETERSBURG - Seminole claimed its third consecutive district championship after Sierra Lelii's scoring frenzy in the first half proved insurmountable for Lakewood in a 4-1 win in the 5A-11 final.

"I just tried to get as many as I could and finish them," Lelii said of her hat trick, scored within a 12-minute span.

The Warhawks' three-forward scheme would keep the Spartans locked in their half throughout the game.

The pressuring Seminole front line made itself at home in the Spartan penalty box. Fifteen minutes into the match, Megan Lawrence found herself amid a closing Spartan defense. She had enough space to put a right-footer to the back left of the goal.

Lelii scored one minute later in the same fashion, from close range in a crowded penalty area.

With a two-goal lead, the Warhawks did not let up. Taylor Mattox's solid ball-control and passing allowed them to keep possession. After a throw-in, Mattox fed Lelii a pass inside the box, which Lelii knocked in for her second goal. Lelii's hat trick was complete when she accepted a quick Mattox pass for a one-time strike.

"It's nice to get a lead. A lot of times we end up playing 1-0 games. To get a 3-0 lead pretty quick, that worked out for us. At 4-0 at halftime, it allowed my bench to go ahead, get in the game and play some minutes," Seminole coach Steve Kuplicki said.

In regional play, Seminole will host Manatee and Lakewood travels to Lakewood Ranch on Thursday.

Matthew Parke

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT