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Boys Soccer Roundup: Berkeley Prep Cruises Into Final Four

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A Tribune staff report

Published: February 14, 2009

TAMPA - After T.J. Roehn scored two goals and added two assists in Berkeley Prep's 5-1 win over St. Andrew's in the Class 3A-Region 3 boys soccer final on Friday, the one-game-at-a-time cliches were flying all over the field.

Roehn, though, let his guard down a bit as the Bucs advanced to the final four, which will be held next week at the University of Tampa.

"Last year we looked at states and we got knocked off too early," Roehn said. "Yes, we are taking it one at a time, but we also have our eyes on states. We can't look ahead, but we are thinking about it also."

Roehn scored two early goals and Berkeley Prep jumped to a 4-0 lead before allowing a goal. It could have been worse. St. Andrew's goaltender Chris Willie stopped 14 shots, most at point blank range to keep it close. The Scots were playing without four starters, while the Bucs had their entire starting lineup after a flu bug hit the Berkeley Prep campus last week.

St. Andrew's coach David Haynes said his team had nothing but respect for the Bucs.

"I was proud of these guys, but especially Chris Willie," Haynes said. "It was like he was being hunted all night. Their attack was so incredible and I am just proud we kept it close against such a great team."

Berkeley Prep coach Tim Cooper maintained the one-game-at-a-time approach.

"We have to be patient and that's how we played," Cooper said. "T.J. stepped it up and he played like a man among boys tonight. Last year we looked ahead and lost at this point. Now we know we can play against anybody in the state and that's the approach we are taking even though we can't look ahead. One at a time."

Jeff Berlinicke

Durant Loses To Melbourne

PLANT CITY - After watching his boys soccer team suffer a 3-0 loss to Melbourne in the Class 6A-Region 2 final, Durant coach Jamin Hollingsworth thought back for a moment when he was a Cougars senior and had his season end at this stage nine years ago.

"We just can't get past this game," said Hollingsworth, a former star striker for Durant who lost to eventual state champion Gaither that year.

This time, it was a nationally ranked Melbourne (25-2) team that thwarted Durant's hopes of a final four showing. And if you ask Hollingsworth, the Cougars, who end the year with the program's best record and most wins (25-3), his team was outplayed pretty much from the outset in most phases of the game.

"They had speed outside, their center midfielders were both very, very sound players and their defense didn't make any mistakes," Hollingsworth said. "They were absolutely the best defensive team we've played all year."

Melbourne, led by forwards Bradley Tuggle, Erik Nelson and Ryan Price, put the Cougars on their heels, with little time to start their own push forward. It was only the second time Durant has been shut out this season, the other coming to 5A state finalist Freedom.

A shot knocked over the bar by Durant goalkeeper Connor Bass gave the Bulldogs a corner kick. After Tuggle lobbed a cross to the far post, Tomas McDowell headed it back into the 6-yard box, where Price nodded it in for a 1-0 lead less than 15 minutes in.

Melbourne got two more goals off corners in the second half, coming within five minutes of each other. Each corner was served up by Tuggle and both goals were headed in by senior midfielder Greg Zimmerman.

"I can't believe we gave up set pieces like that," Hollingsworth said. "But whether they scored on set pieces or whatever, they out-played us."

Bill Ward

Terrapins Rue Missed Chances

BRADENTON - After four straight years of making the state's final four, Tampa Prep had come to expect that excellence. St. Stephen's knew all about the Terrapins' success, having lost to them in the state playoffs in each of those years. Friday, the host Falcons got their revenge, scoring the lone goal in the 74th minute to dethrone the two-time defending Class 2A champions 1-0 in the 2A-Region 3 final.

"I'm a junior, so I've only won a state championship," forward Wes Sever said. "I don't know losing in the playoffs. The seniors last year told me how tough it was and the seniors this year told me how tough it was when you lose your final game, but I never really knew until now."

The sting didn't lessen considering the Terrapins (13-5-4) had great chances to score first. Sever nearly found the back of the net in the 29th minute as he shot at an open goal. But St. Stephen's defender Kevin Peterson came charging in to sweep the ball off the goal line. Seven minutes later, Sever got behind two defenders and headed Evan Harmony's cross right off the crossbar.

With those two breaks, the Falcons (18-4-1) capitalized with six minutes to go as Ryley Delgado broke free to score the only goal of the game between the two regional rivals.

"We had our chances," coach Doug Smith said. "We just did not put them away. That's part of the game of soccer."

Anthony Gagliano

Sweat Goal Lifts Palm Harbor

SEMINOLE - According to Palm Harbor University boys soccer coach Alex Delgado, having junior Ben Sweat on his team is completely unfair to opponents. One play during the Class 5A-Region 3 final may have proved him correct.

Sweat corralled Andrew Smith's long pass from midfield, raced past a pair of Seminole defenders and blasted a low shot that eluded a diving Ryan Downey to give the visiting Hurricanes a 1-0 victory and a berth in next week's state semifinals at the University of Tampa's Pepin Stadium.

"In my eyes, Sweat is the best player in Pinellas County," Delgado said. "Only he can make that play. He's like a man among boys out there."

Palm Harbor (22-4-4) dominated much of the first half, but was held scoreless and spent much of the second half on the defensive until Sweat's goal in the 54th minute. The victory was the Hurricanes third win in as many matches this season against Seminole (18-9-3).

The lone goal quickly erased a game's worth of frustration for Palm Harbor, Sweat said of his 12th goal this season. "All I could think of was getting a goal," he said. "I knew it was in as soon as I hit it."

Chris Errington

Cobras Fall To Powerful Nease

HUDSON - With their leading scorer hobbled, their goalkeeper frequently tested and their scoring chances too few, Hudson's historic run in the Class 4A playoffs ended with a 3-1 loss to Ponte Vedra Beach Nease at Cobra Stadium.

The loss was difficult for many players to take, including forward Scotty Combs who was held scoreless for the first time in the regional playoffs. But Coach Paul Vescio was not as disappointed with the loss considering the opposition: The Panthers (24-2-1) are going for their third consecutive state title and had not allowed a regional playoff goal until Friday.

Nease struck first with an unassisted goal by Filip Ivanov, his first of two on the night, but Cobras keeper Todd Rushing kept Hudson's hopes alive despite several good scoring chances for Nease.

With Combs, still hurting from a physical semifinal win against Celebration catching his breath on the bench, the Cobras (19-6-3) tied the score in the 26th minute on a goal by Combs' backup, Emilio Rivera, who headed in a centering pass by Zack Wynn.

The Panthers' game-winner came on a penalty kick by A Jay Nelson two minutes into the second half. Hudson's best chance to tie was a bicycle kick by Combs that sailed wide.

"We had some opportunities but we just couldn't get them," Vescio said. "It could have been over at half. ... I thought we played OK against those guys."

Bart O'Connell

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