Storm brewing? Celebration girls soccer remains unbeaten

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  • Celebration Head Coach Ed Kuzma (center) talks to his team after their 8-2 win over Haines City. News-Gazette Photo/J. Daniel Pearson
    Celebration Head Coach Ed Kuzma (center) talks to his team after their 8-2 win over Haines City. News-Gazette Photo/J. Daniel Pearson
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For the last two seasons, the Celebration boys’ soccer team has dominated the Osceola County soccer scene — going 37-5-6 and making a pair of Final Four appearances in the state tournament.

It may be the time to shine for the Storm girls’ team.

Senior Isabella Foster scored a career-high five goals to lead Celebration to an 8-2 win over Haines City, as the Storm remained unbeaten for the season with a 6-0-1 record.

Foster, who came into the contest with six goals, got Celebration on the board early, splitting two defenders and burying a shot into the right corner on the net at the 36:21 mark of the first half.

Lyan Casamalhaupa made it 2-0 just nine minutes later, finding a loose ball inside the box and beating the goalie to the left corner.

Foster would quickly make it 3-0, taking a cross from Erin Ozyurek and slamming it in the upper left corner of the goal.

Kaliegh Ruiz would get Haines City on the board with 14:11 remaining in the half, catching Storm goalie Harley Gamble off her line and beating her to the near post to make 3-1.

But Ozyurek would again find Foster on another perfect cross for a goal, as the Storm took a 4-1 lead into the locker room at the half.

Ruiz would add her second goal of the game to cut the lead to 4-2, but the Storm would dominate the rest of the way.  

Bruna Mattozihno scored two minutes later to make it 5-2, before Foster added her fourth goal scoring with a left footed blast from outside the 18-meter box.

She would add her fifth goal on a give-and -go two minutes later to make it 7-2.

Freshman forward Sophia Lazari would close out the scoring by lofting a shot over the goalie’s head from the top of the box to complete the rout.

“We actually beat a pretty good team tonight,” Celebration Head Coach Ed Kuzma said. “They are very aggressive and opportunistic but we were able to take advantage of our opportunities.”

The Storm, which posted losing records in the last two seasons going 10-23-3 during that time, have now outscored the opposition 40 to 3 this season, while posting five shutouts.

Kuzma credited the infusion of young talent, including freshmen Lazari and Ozyurek, for the Celebration turnaround.

“It just seems like our upperclassmen were a little lackadaisical the past couple of years,” Kuzma said.  “We have some really talented young players that have come in and began pressing our older players for playing time.  They really helped raise everyone’s intensity level.”

Girl’s Soccer Roundup

• Celebration (6-0-1)

Won 5-0 vs. Osceola (Dec. 3), Won 8-2 vs. Haines City (Dec. 4), at Tavares (Dec. 10), hosts Gateway (Dec. 12)

• Harmony (3-2-0)

Lost 4-0 at Vero Beach (Dec. 3), Played at Lake Nona Dec. 5) hosts Sebastian River Dec. 10).

• Gateway (1-2-0)

Beat Osceola 8-1 (Nov. 21), played Cypress Creek (Dec. 4), played Tohopekaliga (Dec. 5), hosts Poinciana (Dec. 10)

• Liberty (0-3-0)

Lost 13-0 to Colonial (Dec. 4), hosts Poinciana (Dec. 12).

• Osceola (1-5-0)

Lost 5-0 to Celebration (Dec. 3), played Olympia (Dec. 6), at Cypress Creek (Dec. 9)

• Poinciana (3-2-0)

Won 3-1 vs. New Dimensions (Nov. 22), played Tohopekaliga (Dec. 3), played Masters Academy (Dec. 5), at Gateway (Dec. 10)

• St. Cloud (5-1-0)

Lost 4-0 to Lake Highland (Dec. 2), played East Ridge (Dec. 5), played at New Smyrna Beach (Dec. 6), hosts Eutis (Dec. 9)

• Tohopekaliga (0-1-0)

Played Poinciana (Dec. 3), played at Gateway (Dec. 5), played Colonial (Dec. 6), hosts East River (Dec. 9)