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4 Pasco Teams Start Regional Play Today

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By CHRIS ERRINGTON, Tribune correspondent

Published: January 24, 2008

And then there were four.
Pasco County has produced a quartet of district tournament survivors, each with its eyes set on a state title as regional playoffs begin this week.

Mitchell (Class 6A-District 7), River Ridge (5A-7) and Hudson (4A-8) each won their respective district tournaments and will play host to first-round regional games today, while Land O' Lakes, which fell to River Ridge in the district final 1-0, will be the lone county team on the road.

All games begin at 7 p.m.

Not surprisingly for the gritty Gators (12-9-2), who won eight straight and nine of 11 to end the regular season and travels to Bloomingdale, playing away from home is no cause for concern.

"We've played better on the road than at home, so that doesn't affect us," Land O' Lakes coach Vicki King said. "We're fine with that and we're very excited, because we're playing our best soccer of the year."

Added River Ridge coach Skip Glover, whose team's only loss last season came against Bloomingdale in the region's first round, "I like what Vicki's done with this team. Bloomingdale is good, but if they take Land O' Lakes lightly, they could sneak up and beat them."

Hudson (20-3-2), which has been one of the area's most dominant teams all season and advanced to the region by topping Springstead 1-0, plays host to Eustis. But, instead of reveling in the wake of a district title, Cobras coach Chris Rizzieri has spent much of her time learning how dangerously fast her first-round opponent is.

It's enough to make a coach - and a team - a bit angry.

"Everyone's talking about how quick they are, but no one's giving credit to how fast we are," Rizzieri said, then added jokingly, "I wouldn't mind if it rained.

"If they have any advantage at all, a slower field would nullify it. We practiced in a way that we have to play against them to counter their speed. Still, I don't think we have a chip on our shoulders, but we'll play the underdog role. It's motivation. We love it."

For Mitchell, regional tournaments were an annual rite of passage before moving up one class to 6A two years ago. Now, much of the worry resolves around refocusing its attention away from the district title and its first-round opponent. That's what a pair of early district tournament defeats can do to a team.

The Mustangs (17-3-2) recorded a pair of 1-0 victories, the latter against Countryside, to win the district title and earn an opportunity to play host to surprising Sarasota Riverview, which qualified despite a less-than-impressive 11-9-3 record.

"They're definitely a surprise and weren't expected to make it this far, but at this point, no matter who you're playing, they're all tough teams," Mitchell coach Karl Kukec said. "For us, the big goal was to prove we could win the district title again, not only for our confidence, but to also get the home field. I have all the confidence in the world we can go to the next level."

River Ridge (17-1-2) may have the most to prove of all the county teams. Two district championships, an undefeated regular season and a bevy of talented underclassmen couldn't propel the Royal Knights past the region's first round the past two seasons. Glover, whose team plays host to Newsome, is hopeful the key is as simple as added maturity.

"These girls already know what's at stake this time of year, because we've been here before," the coach said. "The last two years, we were a little intimidated. Being seniors, I don't think they will be this time.

"It's a matter of letting them know what the big picture is, but it's a balance because we can't overlook Newsome. If we let down for a minute, they're going to make us pay."

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