Hat tricks from Kirby Garcia and Hayden LaVangie fueled Fleming Island to a 14-2 win over host St. Augustine Thursday Night
Written by Lee Roggenburg on . Posted in Uncategorized.
By Mike Zima, Correspondent
The Golden Eagles were sharp from the beginning. Sophomore Ben Cannon won five of six first half faceoffs to provide constant opportunities for the Fleming Island offense. LaVangie took advantage, scoring all three of his goals in the first eight minutes.as the visitors jumped out to a 5-0 first quarter lead.
Fleming Island’s defense, led by seniors Jaren Szafranski and Chase Wilson, clamped down on the Yellow Jackets, not allowing a goal until St. Augustine’s Drew Shaw drove the left side and found Stephen Lawlor in heavy traffic for a putaway with 5:01 remaining in the third quarter. Szafranski scooped up a game-high five ground balls, while Wilson forced four turnovers. Golden Eagles goalie Ryan Kelly made four saves before leaving at halftime with a 7-0 lead.
“We took care of business against a competitive and well-coached team,” said Fleming Island coach Jeff LaVangie. “We still did not look very good on 50/50 balls, and this will come back to bite us if we don’t improve quickly.”
The Golden Eagles finish the regular season with an 11-4 record, and will begin the district playoffs against Mandarin at Jacksonville Bolles Tuesday. Fleming Island defeated the Mustangs 5-4 at Mandarin last month.