- November 23, 2024
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Seabreeze Sandcrabs' boys' soccer team outscored the PonteVedra Sharks for a 2-0 win in the state championship quarterfinals Wednesday, Feb. 17.
The Sandcrabs and Sharks seemed to be evenly matched, holding each other to a scoreless first half. Even the officials were impressed with their conduct on the field and the respect the teams showed each other.
The tone of the game shifted during halftime as coaches began to impart a sense of urgency. Coach Jon Kinsler addressed his players, instructing defenders to pass the ball to a few key players: Team captain Chance Shamlou, Frazer Cross and Noah Korfant.
"A lot depends on you guys,” Kinsler said, “You guys are the best at it and I have faith in you.”
The intensity of the game began to pick up when, 19 minutes into the second half, Korfant scored the first Seabreeze goal with an assist from Cross.Ten minutes later, Cross nailed goal number two for the Sandcrabs, with an assist from Frankie Deangelis. Cross maintained his speed and team player mentality throughout the game’s entirety garnering him a well-deserved "Player of the Game" title.
At the other end of the field, Seabreeze defenders Andres Torres, Christian Rodriguez, Jacob Bates, Frankie Deangelis, Brian Dunlop and goalie Jake Feigenbaum were busy shutting out the Sharks from any possibility of scoring. Feigenbaum had six saves sealing their opponent’s fate.
Seabreeze’s desire to maintain their 2 point advantage also began to manifest itself in fouls. By the end of the second quarter, Chase Doucette, Deangelis and Hogan Michael all received yellow cards for their efforts.
With an eight-game winning streak in tow, the Seabreeze Sandcrabs will battle the Gainesville Hurricanes in the state championship semifinals Saturday, Feb. 20.