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Hernando Today

Bears go into hibernation

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By JIM REDMILE, Hernando Today correspondent

Published: December 17, 2007

BROOKSVILLE - The Central High girls' varsity soccer team hosted Nature Coast in a county match-up that meant nothing to their district records, but may turn out to be a pivotal momentum shift for each team's season.

The host Lady Bears fell Tuesday night to the Sharks, 2-0.

With the setback, CHS slipped to 4-4-3 overall (1-1 county) and snapped a five-match non-losing streak.

But in the process, the match may have been even costlier. CHS lost starting midfielders Samantha Berberette and Marissa Still to injury, with a district match against Ridgewood looming on Friday and conference rival Springstead tonight.

"There was not a highlight tonight. There was not a good spot tonight," said Central Head Coach Amy Ellis. "I think my keeper did the best she could. I'd have to say she's the only one who showed up to play tonight.

"She was frustrated," Ellis continued. "When the team in front of you doesn't play, she got kind of pounded tonight. Nature Coast completely outplayed my girls tonight. I felt like we had as great chance. I felt like it was going to be a close game."

The flip side
"My team has been playing very, very, well," exclaimed Nature Coast Head Coach Phil Bennett of his Sharks (9-5-2 4A-8, 2-1-1 conference). "We are dominating games but we haven't had the killer instinct. In the last third, we've been playing very shy. But the build up play getting to the last third has been fantastic."
Nature Coast is 5-1-2 in its last eight matches.

"We played in their half of the field most of the game," said Bennett, speaking of Wednesday night's match. "It's no secret. It's nothing I've been doing; they are a special bunch of girls. They've matured as a group of players. I don't have to shout at them anymore."

Coming into the match, Shark striker Taylor Agricola was second place in the district with 43 shots on goal and 13 goals. She added five more shots and one goal to that total.

At the 27th minute of the first half, Nature Coast sophomore forward Danielle Doucet centered a ball from the right wing that rebounded off a Bear defenseman. Agricola got the rebound at the 20-yard line, spun right and right-footed the ball between the crossbar and the head of Central goalkeeper, junior Kady McCandless.

"I saw the ball wide open in the middle and I knew I could get a shot in there," explained Agricola. "They were trying to pressure me all night, but I had an open goal so I took the shot and just got it over her head. The defense was trying to three-man me every time, but I just got an opportunity and I took the shot."

The second goal of the evening arrived in the 61st minute when senior Bear defenseman Brittany Miles tackled Nature Coast junior Brittany McDonald inside the 18-yard line, giving McDonald a penalty kick. She recalled what was going through her mind.

"I pulled my quad last game, so it's probably going to hurt because I can't really kick. Most of my PKs, I just try to stay really calm because if you're not calm, it's going to go everywhere," recalled McDonald. "So I try to stay calm and not hit it as hard as I can, but try to go for placement. I knew where I was going to kick it (bottom left). I favor that corner; my shot naturally curves to the left."
Nature Coast junior goalkeeper Sarah Berberian stood out as well.

"I have 123 saves right now. Not many shots on me tonight," she explained. "But all credit goes to the team and the coach.

"I just try to position myself well," said Berberian. "Thanks to my defense, I do that well now. And they're really progressing. It helps me out a lot when they do well. So when I position myself well, it helps them out. So they get half the credit for my saves."

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