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Hernando Today

NCT gets four early goals, blanks Leopards, 4-0

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By MARTY MILLER, Hernando Today correspondent

Published: December 10, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - Earlier in this high school soccer season, Nature Coast Technical boys soccer coach Patrick O'Grady told folks that it was just a matter of time before his Sharks' squad started to jell as a unit and play well.

That time may already be here, especially after the Sharks scored four goals in the opening 34 minutes of Monday night's match against Hernando while getting a shutout from goalkeeper Nick Allegra as NCT beat Hernando, 4-0.

The Sharks received first-half goals from Zack Weeks, Jean-Pierre Salazar, Matthew Curtis and John Hope as they out shot the Leopards 34-9 to improve their record to 2-5-2 on the year.

The win Monday came after NCT had played to ties in its two previous games, a 3-3 tie with Zephyrhills and a 1-1 tie with Wiregrass Ranch. Both teams also earned wins when earlier in the week, the Florida High School Activities Association announced that Gulf High, who had beaten both NCT and Hernando, were forced to forfeit wins over both teams due to use of an ineligible player.

"I think what I told you was correct, I think tonight demonstrated that our work has paid off," said the first-year Sharks coach. "I saw that in the boys and I think we really jelled tonight. They really worked well together as a unit."

Early flurry

NCT dominated the early going as Weeks, Salazar and Curtis scored goals in a 10-minute stretch. Weeks opened the scoring in the 18th minute when he beat three Hernando defenders and goalie Nick Noto for an easy goal.

Eight minutes later, Salazar, with an assist from Curtis and Britton Cox, had another easy tap in for a goal.

Two minutes later, Curtis scored again for NCT and then in the 34th minute, John Hope added the final goal on an assist from Salazar.

"I haven't looked at the book yet but we didn't mark up their guys in the midfield. We lost a couple of assignments in the first half, although they didn't score a goal in the second half," said Hernando Head Coach Kevin Knox.

"I think we're evenly matched teams, but when you don't mark up in the midfield and play your man, you're not going to be able to beat any team. So we have to do a better job of that."

The loss was the Leopards' fifth in their last six games while Nature Coast, which began 0-4, has now gone 1-0-2 in its last three matches.

"I think one of the differences is I haven't been substituting nearly as much," said O'Grady. "We're giving our starters a lot more time on the field. Now they're fit and ready to go.

"We've started practicing in the morning now and the kids have responded to it," added O'Grady.

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