Sharks: Feast or Famine Pattern Continues

SPRING HILL --

One of the oddest stats this winter soccer season told the story of the Nature Coast Technical team.
When the Sharks manufactured two or more goals this winter, they were a combined 5-3.
On the opposite end, the Sharks entered Monday's opening round match seeded seventh against No. 2 seed Gulf with a peculiar stat.
In its previous 11 matches this season when the Sharks scored a goal or less, it was winless at 0-11.
Make that 0-12.
On a mild winter night in Spring Hill, NCT managed to out shoot the Buccaneers, 15-10, including a 9-3 difference in the second half.
Yet, it was the New Port Richey squad under second-year Head Coach Grant Wortz that walked away with a first-round win, 3-0.

No Juhnke

The Bucs, who defeated the Sharks earlier in the season, 3-1 and 4-1, again played with their finest player - striker Matt Juhnke - on the pine. He was sitting out the final game suspension for a red card incident from Jan. 12.
Without Juhnke, GHS' offense sputtered.
In the first half, only Steven Van Valin's goal off a feed by Peter Andjelic dented the scoreboard at 23 minutes.
In the second half, Adnan Baset fed Travis Jehs twice at 58 and 67 minutes to ice the match, 3-0.
Why did the Bucs struggle?
"I think we were a little over confident coming in," said the 16-year-old Baset, who came in with five goals. "We had a lot more possession and team work in the second half. Even if we didn't play well, we still pulled off a good win."
How will the dynamic change with Juhnke back on Wednesday?
"He creates a lot more opportunities when he's in there," said Baset. "I play the mid. And when he's in there it makes my job a whole lot easier."
The Bucs posted its seventh shutout behind junior goalkeeper Zach Waller (9 saves).
"Our defense played great," insisted the 15-year-old Jehs, whose two goals give him 16 on the season. "Zach had an outstanding game. But so did Lane (Miller) and Vlad (Marlowe) in the back."

Coaches' react

Wortz, a River Ridge alumnus, assessed his team's performance.
"I thought we came out slow," he said. "But we did come out well mentality. It was rewarding to a get a first-half goal that we hadn't completely earned."
Biggest positive?
"District wins are always big," he replied. "Nature Coast kept it tight. We had a difficult time extracting the ball from our end. Now with Matt back on Wednesday, hopefully we'll feed off his energy and his leadership."
The Sharks, who went 1-1 in 4A-8 last winter's playoffs under Head Coach Patrick O'Grady, were disappointed only in the final results.
"The effort was there," remarked O'Grady. "Our boys came with heart. We felt any of the top seven teams in this tournament could win. We wanted so much so show that to the world tonight. We possessed the ball well, but every goal in district soccer is important."
The difference?
"Bottom line, we could finish tonight," said O'Grady. "All week long we practiced and practiced and put the ball away. But not tonight. That's what we couldn't do."

Gulf 3, Nature Coast Technical 0
NCT 0 0 - 0
GF 1 2 - 3
Goals - GF: Jehs (2), Van Valin.
Assists - GF: Baset (2), Andjelic.
Shots on goal - NCT: 15, GF: 10.
Saves - NCT: Sandifer 2; Waller: 9.
Yellow Cards - GF: Andjelic (unsporting behavior).
Blue Cards - none.
Red Cards - none.
Records: Nature Coast Technical (5-15-0), Gulf (14-2-6).

Class 4A-8 Boys Soccer Tourney Recap
at Springstead's Booster Stadium