Steinbrenner’s early goal holds up at 4A soccer tournament

By Ken Jackson
Sports Writer

Harmony’s first experience at the state girls soccer tournament was certainly different, and out of character.

Some of it had to do with the nearly two-hour bus ride, then an overnight hotel stay. Then there was the 5:15 p.m. kickoff time on Thursday.

But the biggest challenge by far was the nearly 78 minutes of playing from behind.

The Longhorns, after watching Steinbrenner High score on its first shot on goal, spent the rest of the game passing, pressing and searching for an equalizing goal that just never came in the 1-0 loss at the Class 4A state semifinal at Pepin Stadium on the campus of the University of Tampa.

The Warriors (20-2-2), in just their second year of existence, play for the state championship at 11 a.m. today against defending 4A state champion Merritt Island.

Harmony (17-2) hadn’t trailed in a game since a 2-0 loss to Vero Beach (a team in the 6A Final Four) on Nov. 12, making the mental aspect of Thursday’s game that much more difficult.

“Without that goal we’re playing a whole different game,” HHS Coach Stephanie Jones said. “Being behind, for that long, was a brand new world.”

A Harmony foul on its side of midfield gave the Warriors a chance to play the ball in front of the Longhorns net, and Harmony’s inability to clear the ball gave Steinbrenner the chance to follow the bouncing ball. Marissa Maries scored from point-blank range just 2:04 into the game.

If either team had butterflies to start the game, they were worse for Harmony and nearly disappeared for Coach Teresa Patterson’s team after the goal.

“We committed to an early start, and we got that on that set piece,” Patterson said. “I knew that both teams were making their first visit to state, and an early goal was just what we needed to settle in.”

Harmony found its stride later in the half, but three offensive chances in the last 10 minutes before halftime didn’t result in a goal.

The Longhorns best second-half offensive opportunity came with 18:20 left in the game, when Kendall Pollock got a free kick through on goal from 25 yards out, but goalie Stephanie Hirsch gloved it down with ease.

From there, Steinbrenner maintained control of the middle of the field, and thus the pace of the game, holding the Longhorns to three shots. The Warriors had eight.

Jones said it took an outstanding defensive effort to keep it a 1-0 game.

“That was a heck of a match against a great team,” she said. “Their Number 15 (33-goal scorer Cici Gonzalez) is a fantastic player, but I think our defense did a great job on her. We gave them no good opportunities on run-through balls.”

Senior Anna Blanchard, Harmony’s sweeper and the anchor of a defense that had surrendered just five goals in 18 games, said Steinbrenner presented the team’s toughest challenge all year, but she said she thought the Longhorns rose to the challenge.

“We did the best we could. Their two attackers were fast and physical and it was hard,” she said. “The teams we’ve played only have one of those awesome players.

“When we got behind it was kind of a shock, but then we realized we still had all kinds of time to come back.”

The unfamiliar struggle, Jones said, was on offense.

“We weren’t able to penetrate, we tried to push and get more forward,” she said. “We struggled early but did a better job as the game wore on.”

Gonzalez said that dominance in the middle, helped by Steinbrenner’s size advantage player-for-player, was why the Warriors will play again today.

“You have to win the game in the middle. My teammates did that to preserve the shutout,” she said. “We’re a second-year school, but we’re not second-year players or a second-year team.”

Patterson said her team was able to match up with Harmony’s style of play.

“We were prepared. Barron Collier (Steinbrenner’s regional final opponent) played a 4-3-3 formation, which helped us prepare,” she said.

After the game, there were understandably some long, sad faces with heavy chins on the Harmony bench. But Jones implored them to put the season’s accomplishments into perspective, and not let Thursday’s loss define the season that blew away all expectations.

“I can’t be prouder of them, proud to be their coach. It gets no better than being here,” she said. “I reminded them that being here means that they’re in the top four in the state. To me, that rocks.”

Blanchard, one of eight four-year players who played their final game Thursday, found the perspective of what they accomplished in their high-school careers.

“As freshman, we were happy with a winning season. We’re here as seniors,” she said.

Much is made of those outgoing seniors (Blanchard, goalie Kaylee Horn, midfielders Brittany Connor, Chelsea Connor, Sam Travis, Natasha Cielak, Emily Johnson, forward Payton Leffew), but a handful of underclassmen were crucial to the team’s success.

Freshmen Lindsey Johnson, Sage Leffew and Breana Plattner started on Thursday. Pollock and Kaley Ward are sophomores. Caitlin Beam and Heidi Mobley are juniors. That group scored 43 of the team’s 90 goals.

“No doubt there’s a good core coming back, there’s still a lot of talent and the future is definitely bright,” Jones said. “We’re going to be hurting in some spots, and in the leadership department. But a year makes a big difference, and who knows who else will come in.”