Bishop Moore falls in semifinal
MELBOURNE — For more than 51 minutes of its Class 2A state semifinal match against Ransom Everglades Tuesday night, Bishop Moore’s soccer team more than held its own, frustrating the Raiders at every turn. But in the end, the Hornets simply did not hold up against their big, strong, goal-minded opponent and were eliminated 4-1.
They finished the season with a record of 24-7-0. Ransom Everglades (23-4-0) will face Tampa Catholic in the championship match tonight.
“They had a lot of firepower,” Bishop Moore coach Tom Hage said. “They are a very good team with a lot of firepower and we struggled in the second half.”
Firepower indeed. Ransom Everglades ended the match with 26 shots on goal to Bishop Moore’s seven, and Hornets’ goalkeeper Isaac Walker made 16 saves, some of them in spectacular fashion.
The Raiders started the match doing what they do so well, taking run after run at the Hornets’ goal, but to no avail. But in the 18th minute, it was Bishop Moore that struck first when freshman Gio Guazzaroni stuck the ball past Ransom Ever- glades keeper Antonio Ferrer.
“I made a run and Arturo (Ydrach) slid it in and I was able to get a touch on it,” Guazzaroni said. “That was all. I got a great ball from Arturo.”
The Hornets’ defenders continued to harass the Raiders throughout the first half, which ended with a bit of good fortune and stout defending, with Walker prostrate in goal and Ransom Everglades unable to put it past him.
They even seemed to get into the head of the Raiders’ scoring ace Michael Colonna (20 goals this season), who blasted a penalty kick well wide of the goal in the 42nd minute.
But Ransom Everglades continued to threaten and finally figured out the Hornets in the 51st minute, when Carlos Esber scored.
The floodgates opened and the Raiders scored again in the 68th minute on a header by Alex Stuart, and in the 72nd and 76th on goals by Colonna.
“We did well in the first half but struggled in the second, defensively,” Hage said. “We lost our shape in the second half. That was a very, very good team and I thought we marked them well in the first half, especially (Colonna). And we have some very young players. I’m proud of our kids.”