Above Golden Eagles goalie Julia Winters had 8 saves against Atlantic Coast – All photos courtesy of Ray Di Monda By Mike Zima, Correspondent Freshman midfielder Kierra Marquis sparked Fleming Island to a 16-7 win over Atlantic Coast with three goals and three assists in a first round regional playoff game Thursday night.

The 5’1” Marquis had an impact on all phases of the game, gobbling up a game-high eight ground balls and adding two steals. She outran the Stingrays in transition, allowing the Golden Eagles to outnumber the visitors inside the box, resulting in uncontested shots for her teammates. “She makes a big difference,” said Fleming Island coach Clint Lyons. “She does everything, and she is in phenomenal shape.” Marquis was instrumental as the Golden Eagles turned a 2-2 tie into a 6-2 advantage midway through the first half. She initiated the run by taking a pass beside the goal, slipping between two defenders and beating Stingrays goalie Sadie Bopst with a low drive. She then scooped up the next three faceoffs from her position on the wing, converting each possession into a goal. On the first, she sped by the Atlantic Coast midfielders to the shooting circle and bounced a shot under Bopst’s stick. Fighting off two Stingrays to gain control of the next faceoff, Marquis zipped a long pass to attack Riley Proctor, who then fed Lizzie La Vangie—another freshman—for an easy putaway. Moments later, Marquis gained possession, drove hard toward the crease, and dished to Kelly Beach for another goal. The four-goal sequence took less than one minute.

The Golden Eagles continued to pull away with crisp passing and unselfish play. There were assists on eight of Fleming Island’s goals, and 10 different Golden Eagles had a goal or an assist. Beach, who led all scorers with four goals, and Marquis each scored late in the half to give the hosts a 10-3 lead at intermission. A change in faceoff strategy helped swing the momentum. Atlantic Coast senior Sarah Daniels had dominated at the outset, winning the first four faceoffs. At that point, Lyons instructed Beach, the Golden Eagles’ specialist, to change her technique so that the ball would bounce toward the sideline—and toward the charging Marquis— instead of allowing the ball to be cast high into the air, where Daniels enjoyed a height advantage. Fleming Island controlled 11 of the final 17 faceoffs. Daniels finished with a hat trick in her final game for the Stingrays, while attack Madison Kitchens found the net twice. Atlantic Coast finishes its season 6-5. Fleming Island improves to 13-3 after the first ever regional win for the program, and awaits word on their regional final opponent and location. “It’s a great accomplishment,” said Lyons. “If we take care of the ball, we can keep winning.”