#3 Ponte Vedra Downs Creekside 14-11
Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in Uncategorized.
via the StAugustine.Com / photo from Lax904.
Excerpt:
There are no moral victories in sports. But, there are lessons that can be learned from narrow defeats, and that is what Creekside’s boys lacrosse team will look to in light of Tuesday night’s 14-11 loss to Ponte Vedra.
Both teams entered the match unbeaten. The Sharks (8-0) used a pair of goals from Clay Welch 71 seconds apart late in the game to give them a three-goal cushion in a game that was far closer than anyone in the stands at Ponte Vedra High anticipated.
Welch scored four times Tuesday with each one of his thunderous strikes sapping momentum from the visitors, who never led, but put an almighty scare into the program that has not lost to a team in Northeast Florida in the last six years.
“I told my team, yes, this was a great test tonight to see who we really were, because we didn’t know,” said Creekside head coach Jason Alford.
“We thought we knew who we were, but we didn’t know until tonight. I told my team that this game will not define us for the rest of the season. We have to keep getting better. This isn’t going to be a signature loss. We have to keep getting better, or we’ll fade away.”
Over the years, Ponte Vedra has developed a knack for running away from teams after scoring early in matches. Tuesday was no exception as the Sharks first two shots found the back of the net. Ben Buchanan scored 57 seconds into the match and Matt Keeler gave the Sharks a 2-0 advantage with 10:28 remaining when Alford quickly called timeout.
“We scored two goals right away and we said ‘Alright, here we go. This is going to be a blowout.’ I think (Creekside’s) Julian Bonilla said I’m going to beat you to ground balls, I’m going to score some goals and I’m going to make my teammates better,” said Ponte Vedra head coach Tom West. “He was the best kid on the field tonight.”
After the stoppage Creekside battened down the hatches defensively. High-flying Ponte Vedra, who came into the match averaging 15.4 goals per game, only scored four more goals the rest of the first half. A slashing penalty from the Knights with 1:51 remaining in the first quarter gave the Sharks a one-man advantage for two minutes; however, the home team could not capitalize.
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