Boys soccer: Wesley Chapel edges Sunlake

WESLEY CHAPEL - An even match is an even match.

It's what Sunlake and Wesley Chapel found Wednesday evening, yet it was the Wildcats prevailing 2-1 over the Seahawks, snapping Sunlake's nine-game unbeaten streak.

"We played horrible tonight," Seahawks coach Sam Koleduk said. "Even though we lost, it was good to play a team that was better than what we had played recently. It's good practice with districts right around corner."

After a scoreless first half with limited opportunities for both teams, Wesley Chapel (15-2) took a lead early in the second when Nestor Ponce's corner kick was recieved at the 43rd minute by Max Caceres, who got off a low shot that Sunlake keeper David Danahy stopped, but which still trickled through his hands. It was Caceres' 13th goal this season.

Just three minutes later, the Seahawks (15-5-1) tied the game when leading scorer Jordan Landry headed a through ball to Connor Gilboy, who hit a shot in the right-hand upper corner past Wesley Chapel freshman keeper Alex McGough.

The Wildcats regained the lead in the 60th minute on another Ponce corner kick that found Caceres. Caceres flicked the ball, which hit Bryan Huynh off the chin and bounced in for the game-winning goal.

"They weren't the strongest goals in the world, but we'll take them," Wesley Chapel coach Brian Dorkowski said of beating his former roommate, Koleduk, and his four-year-old team. "I thought, though, it was a pretty even match throughout."

Sunlake had an opportunity to tie the game in the 63rd minute after McGough made a rookie mistake by putting the ball down and then picking it up, which results in an automatic indirect kick. Landry lined up to take the shot, but a Wesley Chapel wall blocked it.

"Those two goals were a little weak, but the game on the field was dead even," Koleduk said. "They got the goals by capitalizing, and we didn't. We just didn't play very well. We have to regroup, but we hadn't been put under pressure in a while. We've had it easy, so getting a good team will help get back on track and be ready for districts."

District runner-up Wesley Chapel, rebounding after going 10-14-1 last year, faced only its second above .500 team this season. The other, Pasco, provided he Wildcats' two losses.

"This is a good test for us to play a caliber team with districts coming up," Dorkowski said. "We needed an evenly matched game with a better team. We played better teams, and beat them, early in the year."

Sunlake has just a few games left, but now must watch how its district seeding will play out. The Seahawks will either be the No. 2 or 3 seed for the 4A-8 district tourney starting Jan. 24, determined by the result of Friday's Wiregrass Ranch/River Ridge matchup, which Sunlake will attend.

"We have to regroup, but we hadn't been put under pressure in a while," Koleduk said. "We've had it easy, so getting a good team will help get back on track and be ready for districts."