Girls soccer: McKeel routs Tarpon Springs in regional quarterfinals
LAKELAND — The McKeel girls soccer team played like a true No. 1 seed in the opening round of the Class 4A, Region 3 playoffs on Tuesday night at Lane Construction Field.
Maddie Caustic scored two goals and added an assist as the Wildcats absorbed a 9-0 win over the No. 8 seed Tarpon Springs Spongers.
The Wildcats (14-4-1) also got two goals from Lindsay Loranger as they ended the game at halftime thanks to the mercy rule.
“It went according to plan,” McKeel head coach Jacob Sweeney said. “When an eight seed plays a one seed, the one seed should win. We were able to get all the girls on, and it keeps everybody in a good mood.”
McKeel wasted little time scoring its first goal as Caustic tapped in a shot that deflected off the Tarpon Springs goalie for a 1-0 lead less than five minutes into the game.
Two minutes later Caustic fed Ava King on a cross to make it 2-0, and a minute later Kadence Rinaldo made it 3-0.
The scoring assault continued as Makenzie Thornton made it 4-0 with 12 minutes gone in the first half. Caustic picked up her second goal five minutes later.
Loranger’s first goal with 14 minutes left in the half put the Wildcats up 6-0 and her final goal came after Trinity Pierce and Abygail Shannon put up the seventh and eighth scores.
Thornton added two assists, and Shannon, Rinaldo, Pierce, Sophia Previte and Leeya Harrison each had an assist as well.
McKeel will play Robinson in the regional semifinal on Friday night in Lakeland.
This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Girls soccer: McKeel routs Tarpon Springs in regional quarterfinals
