Oxbridge outlasts Verot, advances to title game
The final minutes were rough on Oxbridge Academy coach Steve Obringer’s blood pressure, but the ThunderWolves completed a 2-1 victory at Bishop Verot in the Class 2A state semifinals Friday night to earn a shot at a second straight state title.
Villanova signee Allison Breed scored twice for Oxbridge (12-1-4) before Bishop Verot (21-4) closed the deficit to 2-1 in the 72nd minute on a penalty kick. Bishop Verot had a shot to tie but blasted a shot off the cross bar on a corner kick in the final moments.
“Giving up a late goal is never good. But we persevered and came through all the way to the last second,” said Obringer, in his first year leading the varsity after coaching jayvee last season. “That’s kind of what we’ve done all year, especially in the playoffs. Hopefully we’ve got one more in us.”
Breed, a Villanova signee, scored midway through the first half on an assist from junior Lizzy Spears. Breed scored an unassisted goal early in the second half. Junior Merissa Chu had 10 saves.
The ThunderWolves advanced to Wednesday’s state title game in DeLand against Jacksonville Bolles, which routed Ocala Trinity Prep 7-0 Friday night.
“I think our side of the bracket has been a lot of tests. But I think that benefits us in the end because we’re that much more ready for Wednesday,” Obringer said. “We set that goal [repeating as state champions] from day one. It’s just step in and get to work. That’s been our mentality.”
MERRITT ISLAND 2, AMERICAN HERITAGE 1: The visiting Patriots fell just short of advancing to the state final on Friday night, falling to Merritt Island 2-1 in the teams’ Class 3A state semifinal contest.
The Patriots’ season and playoff run, which included three consecutive victories on the road, featured a remarkable amount of resiliency with nearly half of American Heritage-Plantation’s starting lineup unavailable for their matchup with Merritt Island.
“When you have five starters out and you make it this far, the girls I’m very proud of them, they fought every second of the way,” said Patriots head coach Cindy Marcial. “A lot of teams would crumble. Every game we were losing and losing different players but we never stopped….and I’m proud.”
That resiliency was on full display on Friday night, even in defeat. In the first half, the Patriots were just able to stave off a few very good chances for Merritt Island but dogged defending and impressive goalkeeping prowess from Elizabeth Matie kept the score at 0-0.
However, a pair of header goals off Merritt Island corner kicks ultimately proved to be the difference in the contest.
The Mustangs’ Madeline Miller opened the scoring with under 30 seconds left in the half to put her team up 1-0.
To their credit, the Patriots were undeterred by the late Merritt Island goal and answered roughly four minutes into the second half as Megan Morgan’s shot from near the edge of the penalty found its way to the back of the net to knot the score at 1-1.
But a second goal off a Mustang corner kick, this one coming off the head of a charging Lexi Denaburg with around 26 minutes left in the game, gave the Mustangs a lead they would never relinquish.
“They scored on two corner kicks,” Marcial said. “They really didn’t score good goals on us. That’s what we talked about, scoring on a corner kick, you know. We’re the better team, we’re playing better possession, we’re playing better soccer than them, even with five starters out.”
Merritt Island advances to the state finals next weekend in Deland next Friday where it will take on Gulf Breeze. ESTERO 5, ARCHBISHOP MCCARTHY 4