District soccer: West Boca girls fend off South Fork in penalty kick shootout
BOCA RATON — West Boca girls soccer triumphed over South Fork in a suspenseful and intense penalty shootout in the 6A District 8 quarterfinal matchup Thursday night.
The West Boca Bulls (9-7-1) were in complete control of the game, with a 2-0 lead, with goals from junior Chloe Iglesias and junior Giovana Canali, with only four minutes until the final whistle.
South Fork made the turnaround scoring two goals in two minutes, forcing the game into overtime and eventually penalties.
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Late drama to force penalty shootout
The Bulls were ready for the penalty shootout moment as they had been practicing for these types of situations and knew what they had to do mentally to win.
West Boca scored three penalties by freshman Morgan Tyrakoski and juniors Abby Tyrakoski and Cloe Greene with two saved. South Fork scored two, had one saved, and their last two kicks went right over the crossbar.
“I’m so proud of the team and we fought so hard to the end," West Boca junior goalkeeper Talia Badalamente said.
“Soccer is a difficult game to play but it’s what you make of it while under pressure and we pulled through as a team," Tyrakoski said.
The Bulls had the two-goal advantage but lost their way in the final minutes of the game when they allowed South Fork to equalize.
“We told the team at halftime that 2-0 is one of the most dangerous scorelines in soccer because the other team only needs one goal and they get the momentum, and that's what happened," West Boca head coach Ricardo da Silva said.
"We were prepared for penalty kicks. We did them in practice and they were focused and believed in themselves, that is very important.”
West Boca continues win streak into the semifinals
2022 wasn't kind to the Bulls. They started their season 2-7-1 with some big losses, including 5-2 against Boca Raton, 7-3 to Park Vista and 3-1 to Seminole Ridge.
However, they've turned it around in the new year, defeating South Fork for their seventh consecutive win.
Canali, West Boca's top goal scorer and a University of Miami commit, led her team with passion and fight to the playoffs.
“It was a tough game and we fought hard,” Canali said. “I’m proud of my teammates, a win is a win. See you in semifinals.”
This season she bagged 23 goals in 12 matches played, averaging two goals per game.
“Those players don't come around often in a coach's life,” da Silva said. “I'm very, very happy and we are all happy to have her on our team, no doubt.”
A missed opportunity for South Fork
The Bulldogs entered this game 11-3 and on a four-game win streak.
Despite the record advantage, they struggled to stay alive in the first half.
They heavily relied on their junior star, Makena Meyer, who scored 24 goals with 16 assists this season in just 14 games.
“I thought both teams played hard, I thought both teams played aggressive," said South Fork head coach Tony Iannitti. "I think we kind of shocked everybody when we put two in the last four minutes and that was a testament to these girls who played their heart out.
"I agree both teams play hard but I think we played a little harder tonight, and that was obvious during regular time.”
In the second half, they put the pedal to the metal and constantly pressured the Bulls' defensive line, earning a penalty in the 79th minute.
“We high pressured the ball in the back end and we won a couple (challenges) and then we got the foul in the box. It was all a team effort.”
This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: District soccer: West Boca girls fend off South Fork in penalty kicks
