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RSL Girls Fall In Semifinals

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By NICHOLAS J.E. MURRAY, The Tampa Tribune

Published: November 24, 2007

LAND O' LAKES - After advancing through the group round at the United Soccer League's Super-Y Nationals, with an impressive 3-2 win against North Carolina's Triangle FC, the RSL Florida girls under-17 squad seemed on the verge of playing for a national championship with a game against Wolfpack Blue from Fountain Valley, Calif.

But the team that came out Monday bore no resemblance to the one that had dismissed Schultz Academy 7-0 a little more than 24 hours earlier. Poor passing and an inability to maintain possession cost RSL its title hopes in a 2-1 loss at the Land O' Lakes Recreation Center.

While playing at home may have seemed like an advantage, in the end it may have cost RSL. Coach Jim Cote pointed to the schedule some of his players had to work with, with players forced into duty for their high schools in addition to tournament games.

"I think there were a lot of dead legs," Cote said. "I think the games with the high school season going on right now, along with this thing going on and the practice we've had, it's been going on a month, and I think we hit a wall."

It certainly appeared that way Monday. Cote said that 10 of his squad of 18 players had played three games in the span of 26 hours beginning Friday morning. But that tiredness didn't stop RSL from making a valiant effort to keep going. Trailing the Wolfpack 1-0 at halftime thanks to a goal by Andrea Reyes, Cote challenged the team at halftime.

"I told them I thought tactically we could make a few changes, but the big thing here is your heart," Cote said. "Your heart has to tell you you can do this, and the second half we were a lot better, at least pressing and keeping them under pressure."

"He just knocked some sense into us," said forward Noelle Pineiro, who led the team with 10 goals for the tourney. "We all kind of realized we needed to step it up, and we did."

RSL's efforts were rewarded with 15 minutes to go. Chelsea Klotz scored when she ran down a backpass from Krisen Franco to goalkeeper Roxy Barber, and blocked the clearance into the open net. But the Wolfpack took the lead back four minutes later on an Annie Wethe goal.

The RSL squad gets back on the field next weekend at the Raleigh Shootout in North Carolina. Cote said he thinks the team learned a lot from the weekend, and will be ready to get back on the field.

"I think one of the things we talked about at halftime is that every game is an important game," Cote said. "You can't, just because you're RSL Florida, walk out on the field and expect that you're going to win the game. You've got to take every team seriously, and I think after Sunday's performance against Shultz they were going to walk through this thing, and got a little bit of a rude awakening when they were down 1-0.

"This team probably hasn't been down since Southern Regionals in the summertime, and it's the first loss they've suffered since regionals, six months it's been. Maybe it's a little bit of an eye-opener and we'll be ready for the next event we have coming up."

Newsome Remains Unbeaten With Shutout

Newsome Blue remained undefeated with a 7-0 win against Riverview/Durant as the Hillsborough High School Hockey League entered a week off with the Wolves three points ahead of the Tigers at the top of the standings.

Zach VandeLagemaat scored a natural hat trick, while James Tzlvelis recorded the shutout. Tony Marasco added a pair of goals, while Kyle Reigler added a goal and three assists.

Riverview/Durant dropped to fourth as it was jumped by Freedom (beat Plant 6-3).

Spencer McNabb scored both the Patriots' first-period goals within a span of 30 seconds, and completed his hat trick in the second as Freedom denied the Panthers their second win of the season.

C.W. Guyer, Eric Siegman and Mikel Amias scored for Plant, but goals by Chance Letson, Jared Haddad and Ryan Fries allowed the Patriots to keep their lead.

The Tigers got a pair of goals and an assist by Kyle Kortum as they beat George Jenkins 6-2. Ian Stanley had a goal and two assists for the Tigers, while Charlie Kutt and Shane Hurley both also scored.

Jenkins' Shane Reger had a pair of goals.

Wharton's JP D'Ambrosio recorded a shutout as Jarred Bishop scored the only goal of the game in the Wildcats' 1-0 win against Newsome White.

Bloomingdale got a hat trick from Connor McHale as the Bulls beat Wesley Chapel 6-3. The Wildcats' T.J. Johnson also had a hat trick, but McHale got help in the form of goals by Dan Briggs, Ryan Harned and Mike Wood to keep them in fifth place.

Bucaro, Li Win East Lake Super Series Titles

Andres Bucaro of Tampa won the boys under-18 title at the East Lake Fall Junior Tennis Super Series at the East Lake Woodland Country Club with a 6-3, 6-4 win against No. 2 seed Tyler Snook of Tampa in the final.

Bucaro had advanced to the final with a 6-7, 7-6, 6-1 win against Gerardo Meza. It was the only match in which he was taken to three sets, with wins against No. 3 seed Michael Kopelman, Enrique Prado and No. 7 seed Jake Fleischer coming in straight sets.

Unseeded Amber Li of Tampa won the girls under-18 bracket by beating No. 1 seed Kayla Rizzolo of Wesley Chapel 6-4, 6-1 in the final.

Keyword: Youth Sports, for more youth sports news and notes. Nicholas J.E. Murray can be reached at (813) 259-8243 or nmurray@tampatrib.com.

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