Buchholz soccer beats Forest at home to win second district title
The crowd roared to life as time on the clock ticked away at Mikey Kelley Field. Tuesday night’s game had a district title and a season hanging on it.
Forest (13-5-2) fought hard but fell to Buchholz 3-2. The Bobcats (9-9) won their second district championship in two years.
“It wasn’t pretty, but we muscled through,” Buchholz head coach Bryan Hantak said.
The Bobcats jumped to an early lead with goals from Zoe Torres at the 13th minute and Kelisha Andre at the 38th. Forest faced a 2-0 deficit at halftime.
The Wildcats wouldn’t leave the field without making a run of their own. Forest juniors Janellie Castillo and Klarissa Zawosky scored midway through the second half to tie.
With 9:49 seconds left in the game, a perfectly placed corner kick opened a lane for Buchholz’s Emily Sipple to give the Bobcats the edge.
“I don’t want to take anything away from Forest. I thought they played a great game,” said Hantak.
This game’s weight helps keep the Gainesville and Ocala sports rivalry strong. Let’s dive deeper than the stats with the night’s storylines.
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20 seconds or less
A 2-0 lead in soccer can be fleeting. For some teams, it’s enough cushion to coast to a win, but fending off a team for 40 minutes is tough.
The Wildcats looked sluggish at the half. They were down in the biggest game of their season. Castillo was the first to strike at the Bobcats. She missed her first attempt but came back two minutes later to score a much-needed goal.
Forest won the crowd, but Kania Dean forced a penalty before they could finish their chant. Zawosky stepped up for the penalty kick and put the ball through the net.
All this happened in a 20-second span, showing how fast a soccer game can turn around.
Buchholz shows composure
The game was in Buchholz’s hands early. They were the more aggressive team, attempting five shots on the goal and converting two.
Forest hit their offensive stride in the second half, and it was time for the Bobcats to respond. They were as stunned as their crowd for a solid 10 minutes, and it showed in their play.
“It took the girls did a great job of calming down. It took a couple of minutes after that second goal, but they settled in a little bit,” Hantak said.
With a new demeanor and time closing in, Sipple sealed the game on a play the team had worked on all seasons. Their preparation paid dividends.
Buchholz repeats in injury riddled season
The Bobcats had a rocky regular season. After matching up with five of the top 40 teams in the state, Buchholz was 8-9 coming into the postseason.
Talent certainty wasn’t the issue as they returned nine players for last year’s district winning roster. But the entire team suited up twice this season as they dealt with illness and season-ending injuries. The eight-week streak of bad luck saw seven girls come down with COVID-19.
“We’ve had a lot of injuries and illness, so players are starting to come back. They’re not 100% yet, but at the same time, they’ve played with incredible heart,” Hantak said.
Buchholz gets a few more days of rest as district tournaments around the state wrap up. It’s exactly what the doctor prescribed for a team hearing up for a deep playoff run.
This article originally appeared on Ocala Star-Banner: Emily Sipple's goal pushes Buchholz past Forest for district title
