Stallions advance; Scots, Bulls fall in regional soccer quarters

Heritage improves to 29-0

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

A year ago, Melbourne-West Shore suffered the cruelest heartbreak, as Saint Andrew’s scored a goal with 2.6 seconds left to tie their regional final match, which the Scots won in overtime on their way to the Class 3A state title.

Revenge was on the minds of the Wildcats Wednesday night, and forward Merrika Livingstone scored with just 11.4 seconds left in the first overtime to give West Shore a shocking 3-2 win.

Wildcats forward and U.S. National Team player Toni Pressley set up the final goal when she was fouled just outside the box. But with everyone thinking she would take the shot, she instead laid it off to Livingstone, who was 10 yards to her right and wide open.

The junior cranked a shot that beat Scots keeper Lauren Reilly in the right corner for the winning goal.

“I thought she was going to take the shot, but she passed it to me, my mind was clear and I took the shot,” Livingstone said.

Saint Andrew’s interim coach Rob Kristiensen said, “Before we got settled, we thought 19 (Pressley) was going to take the shot. And they were smart about it, they took a real quick one, and then she shot it.”

It was the lone great scoring chance for the Wildcats (11-10-1) in overtime, as Saint Andrew’s (13-3-2) mounted a furious rally to tie the match at 2-2 and force the extra period.

Raye Sallkey blasted home the first goal at the 23-minute mark of the first half to give the Wildcats the lead, then Pressley made a turnaround shot seven minutes later to put the Scots in a 2-0 hole.

In the first half and through much of the second Saint Andrew’s appeared listless, as the Wildcats continually beat them to the ball and outmuscled them for possession.

Then Serra Tumay drew a free kick from the left side of the Wildcats’ goal just before the second half water break.
When both teams returned to the field, she ripped a shot that got past keeper Casey Smolar from the angle, putting Saint Andrew’s on the board.

Just over a minute later, the Scots’ best attacker and another U.S. National Team player, Laura Weinberg, took a pass outside the box, made a move to her left and fired home the tying goal.

“It was the desire in the kids,” Kristiensen said. “The girls said, this is it, this is the time.”

From that point, Saint Andrew’s dominated the match.

Emily Brockway just missed on a header that would have won the match in regulation, then Allie Weinberg missed an open net off a free kick from Tumay.

In the first overtime, Laura Weinberg took a throw-in the length of the field, but Smolar made a diving save to prolong the match.
Then Livingstone scored on the Wildcats’ lone counterattack and the match was over.

Saint Andrew’s was without Coach Stacey Dent-Iaciofano, who is on bedrest awaiting the birth of her second child, and the Scots’ championship defense ended short of the final four.

For Livingstone and the Wildcats, it was a day they had looked forward to since last year, when Saint Andrew’s stole victory from them in the regional finals.

“(We thought about it) a lot, a lot,” she said. “Same circumstances, everything. We did not want that to happen again.”

Stallions win again

American Heritage had little trouble improving to 29-0, routing South Florida HEAT 8-0 in Tuesday’s Class 2A regional semifinals.

The top-ranked Stallions led 6-0 at halftime and scored two goals early in the second half, resulting in the mercy rule ending the match.

West Boca falls

Tishia Jewell scored two goals and the Scorpions’ defense shut down the Bulls (19-3-2) in a Class 5A regional semifinal in Satellite Beach.