GIRLS REGION SOCCER: Saint Stephen's edges Imagine; Mooney, Parrish advance
BRADENTON — Taylor Vogt scored on a left-footed kick from 25 yards out to lift the Saint Stephen’s Episcopal girls soccer team to a 1-0 Class 2A-Region 3 quarterfinal victory over Imagine School at North Port.
The match was played in a steady drizzle on a dreary Tuesday night at the Moore Athletic Complex at Turner Fields.
The Falcons (14-3-1) move on to face First Baptist Academy of Fort Myers (14-6) in a region semifinal at home on Friday at 7 p.m. First Baptist won its region quarterfinal, 2-1, over Tampa Cambridge Christian.
Vogt delivered the game-winner with 19 minutes, 27 seconds still remaining in the first half. After that, it was all about the Falcons’ stifling defense.
“We played to our strengths,” Falcons first-year head coach Tyler Cotton said. “We have two good defenders in Kate Baran and Sophia Creneti. They both played a really great game.”
Baran, Creneti and Vogt are all team captains on a squad that has no seniors.
Saint Stephen's takeaways
• The Falcons earned a home game in the region quarterfinal by virtue of winning the Class 2A-District 10 title last Wednesday. They hung on to defeat Indian Rocks Beach Christian, 3-2. Vogt scored all three goals. "Taylor Vogt always finds that bit of magic,” Cotton said of his team’s leading scorer. “She has a huge impact on our team, especially as a captain. She’s the leader of the team. She really gets her teammates involved, which makes a big difference.”
• No seniors means lots of young players. It also means those young players will be around for a long time to come. “We have a program to build,” Cotton said. “We’re excited about the next couple of years.”
• The Falcons launched 11 shots against the Sharks. Falcon goalkeeper Annesley Flint recorded two saves. Flint took over the position after Riley Schlick-Trask was injured early in the season with a torn rotator cuff in her right shoulder.
Imagine School takeaways
• With just one senior graduating, the future looks bright for the Sharks (8-4-2). Imagine outscored its opponents, 49-15, this season. “These girls have done an incredible job these past two years,” said Sharks second-year head coach Derek Sauline. “We had mostly seventh- and eighth-graders last year. They bring a lot of grit to the field. They have great character. I am so proud of them.”
• Goalkeeper Adrianna Al-arnasi kept the Sharks (8-4-2) in the game. The lone senior on the squad recorded eight saves as Saint Stephen’s kept up the pressure. Al-arnasi has played for Imagine since she was in sixth grade.
• Imagine made it to the region quarterfinal by finishing runner-up in Class 2A-District 11, following a 1-0 loss to Fort Myers Canterbury in the championship game.
CLASS 5A-REGION 3 QUARTERFINAL
Mariner 8, Braden River 0
BRADENTON — Ryleigh Acosta and Eva Ramirez combined for four goals as Cape Coral Mariner cruised to an 8-0 mercy rule victory over host Braden River High on Tuesday night in a Class 5A Region 3 girls soccer quarterfinal match.
Mariner took a 5-0 halftime lead and never looked back on a rainy, cold night.
Tuesday night’s loss was the first in nearly a month for the Pirates since a 2-1 loss at Parish Community School on Jan. 14. Braden River (7-8-3) had reeled off three straight wins since then, including a 2-1 double overtime victory at St. Petersburg High last week in the district finals. Braden River lost three players to injury in that game, however, forcing coach Don Engerlberger to bring up five players from the junior varsity team for Tuesday night's game.
“We kind of limped into the playoffs, but our young girls got a definite learning experience out there (Tuesday night)," Engerlberger said. "Take nothing away from Mariner though, they’re a fantastic team and well-coached team, and they move and possess the ball very well.
“This was an eye-opener for a lot of our girls and in the end I thought they played well.”
Braden River takeaways
• Coming into Tuesday night’s match the Lady Pirates had lost six starters from their opening day roster to season-ending injuries, including four of their five seniors on the team. Freshman starter Madison Epperson, who suffered both collarbone and groin injuries in last week’s district final win, will be one of the team leaders next season. “We have a good core coming back for next year,” Engleberger said.
• Braden River had allowed more than two goals just twice all season before tonight’s 8-0 defeat. Four of the team’s seven wins this year came via shutout.
CLASS 3A-REGION 3
Cardinal Mooney 1,
West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy 0
MATCH AT: Cardinal Mooney Catholic School, Sarasota.
GOAL: CM, Jenna Santiago.
GOALIE: CM, Allessia Ukmar (9 saves).
UP NEXT: Cardinal Mooney at Palm Beach Gardens Benjamin, 7 p.m. Friday.
CLASS 4A-REGION 3
Parrish Community 8, LaBelle 0
GOALS: PC, Hayden Lepley 2, Kendall Hecht 2, Madelyn Portwood, Emily Evans, Brianne Bonzheim, Ashley Wagner.
ASSISTS: PC, Hecht 2, Sydney Weslowski, Portwood, Wagner, Madison Malanowicz
GOALIE: PC, Avaya Wright (3 saves).
NEXT: Lemon Bay at Parrish Community School, 7 p.m. Friday.
Region quarterfinal results
CLASS 7A-REGION 2
Lakewood Ranch 2, Windermere 1, OT
Palm Harbor University 3, Venice 1
CLASS 5A-REGION 3
Cape Coral Mariner 8, Braden River 0
CLASS 4A-REGION 3
Parrish Community 8, LaBelle 0
Lemon Bay 5, Tampa Robinson 1
CLASS 3A-REGION 3
Cardinal Mooney 1, West Palm Beach Oxbridge Academy 0
CLASS 2A-REGION 3
Saint Stephen’s 1, Imagine School at North Port 0
Friday’s region semifinal matches
CLASS 7A-REGION 2
Lakewood Ranch (5) at Palm Harbor University (1)
CLASS 4A-REGION 3
Lemon Bay (3) at Parrish Community (2)
CLASS 3A-REGION 3
Cardinal Mooney (4) at Palm Beach Gardens Benjamin (1)
CLASS 2A-REGION 3
Naples First Baptist (3) at Saint Stephen’s (2)
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: GIRLS REGION SOCCER: Saint Stephen's edges Imagine; Mooney, Parrish win
