Oviedo girls soccer keeps streak going

Less than two weeks before the start of district tournaments, Oviedo’s two-time defending state champion girls soccer team continues to be perfect.

The Lions, ranked No. 3 in the nation among winter soccer programs by TopDrawerSoccer.com and No. 2 in the state, are unbeaten in their last 43 matches.

Oviedo (12-0-0) lost in a regularseason finale at Bishop Moore in 2015-16. On Tuesday they improved to 34-0-1 with their 30th shutout over the past two seasons in a 1-0 win over visiting Merritt Island (13-3-0).

Senior Kenna Hildenbrand scored a goal in the opening minutes of the match. Merritt Island managed just three shots in the second half, one of which came on a corner kick.

It was another successful example of the program’s approach to taking things one game and one practice at a time.

“We strive to make practice fun and we strive to have competition in every practice, where they have to compete with each other, which will only make them better,” Oviedo coach Scott Waisanen said.

“We don’t think about how many shutouts we have or what’s our record, we tell them we want to get better every game and we want to work as a group. The results will take care of themselves.”

Oviedo hasn’t given up a goal since winning 3-1 against Boca Raton in last year’s Class 5A state championship game.

It has since outscored opposing teams 66-0 this season, including 2-0 wins over Lake Mary (8-1-0) on Nov. 20 and Winter Park (15-2-2) on Dec. 6.

Former Timber Creek standout Chris Board ended his college football playing career Saturday as a threetime national champion.

Board, a senior linebacker at North Dakota State, had four tackles (1.5 for loss) while helping the Bison wrap up a 17-13 win over James Madison in the Football Championship Subdivision title game in Frisco, Texas.

Board nearly intercepted a pass on third down inside the opening minute of the second quarter, leading to a missed field goal that preserved NDSU’s 7-3 lead. The win gave North Dakota State its sixth national title in seven seasons.

Board was also part of national title teams as a redshirt freshman in 2014 and sophomore in 2015.