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Hernando Today

NCT Has Finishing Touch, 3-0

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By CHRIS BERNHARDT JR.

Hernando Today

Published: January 6, 2009

BROOKSVILLE - Taylor Agricola didn't score a single goal or register an assist Tuesday at the Bears' Den.

But the senior forward from Nature Coast, the county's leading scorer a season ago, made enough of an impact by just returning to the pitch.

While she played her first game of the season following surgery to repair a damaged anterior cruciate ligament, it was junior Danielle Doucet who played the starring role in a 3-0 win over host Central.

Doucet scored twice, while senior goalkeeper Sarah Berberian, making her own comeback from an injury, recorded five saves to preserve the shutout.

"We played today with a little more composure," Nature Coast Head Coach Phil Bennett said. "We've been erratic. We've been dominating teams but not finishing them off. Today we had the finishing touches.

"…We had a full team out tonight and it makes a difference. Taylor had a quiet game by her standards, but it's her first game back. It just gives the team a lift."

Bouncing back

These two teams met on Dec. 19, with the Lady Bears (6-8-2) claiming a 2-1 triumph on the Lady Sharks' (7-6-4) turf. Neither team had played since thanks to the holiday break.

The first half was uneventful until Doucet put a loose ball into the left corner of the goal in the 38th minute.

Two minutes into the second half, she dribbled downfield, eluded the defender and unleashed a long kick that found the back of the net to make it 2-0.

"We switched Danny to play up top because she's quick," Bennett said. "She's coming on immensely. Each year she's improving. She's a key player for us now. Once she gets the ball in front of her, no one is going to touch her."

That speed comes as no surprise, considering she has two state medals in two years as a sprinter on the track and field team.

Doucet nearly recorded a hat trick on a breakaway late in the game, but Central keeper Brooke Wardlow made a nice save over her head.

"I think our whole team played really good today," said Doucet, who has a team-high seven goals on the season. "I think we played really well with me and Taylor up top. We dominated a lot more.

"It's really nice to have a great forward up top. She (Agricola) was our high scorer last year, so it really helps to have her back."

Freshman Jeri Loffler tacked on an insurance goal midway through the second half, the first of her prep career.

Despite the loss, the Lady Bears got their own good news on the injury front with their leading scorer from last season, sophomore Alyx McKinney, returning after missing 10 matches with a torn medial collateral ligament.

"My girls played to the end," Central Head Coach Amy Ellis said. "You could tell we came off a break. We played them before the break and beat them 2-1. That's us. Tonight there were little mistakes we made that I felt with practicing and playing games, wouldn't have occurred.

"…Number one, we need to get the rustiness out of us. I need to figure out what to do with the lineup with Alyx being back. We need ball work. Focus on getting our touch back, hit our passes, get back into rhythm."

NATURE COAST 3, CENTRAL 0
Nature Coast 1 2 — 3
Central 0 0 — 0
Goals – NCT: Doucet 2, Loffler.
Assists – none.
Shots on goal – NCT: 10, CEN: 5.
Saves – NCT: Berberian 5; CEN: Wardlow 6.
Yellow Cards – Coach Bennett, Francisco, K. Reiss (NCT).
Blue Cards – none.
Red Cards – none.
Records: Nature Coast (7-6-4), Central (6-8-2).

Sports writer Chris Bernhardt Jr. can be reached at 352-544-5288 or cbernhardt@hernandotoday.com.

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