- April 18, 2024
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MELBOURNE — About an hour after his team suffered a 2-0 loss to Merritt Island in the Class 3A girls soccer state semifinals on Feb. 6 (CLICK HERE for a play-by-play live blog from the game), Matanzas coach Tony Benvenuto sat in Chick-fil-A replaying the first goal in his mind.
About an hour after his team suffered a 2-0 loss to Merritt Island in the Class 3A girls soccer state semifinals on Feb. 6, Matanzas coach Tony Benvenuto sat in Chick-fil-A replaying the first goal in his mind.
He felt it was offside. The refs missed the call, he said.
Despite coming up a game short of a state championship appearance, it’d be tough for Benvenuto and the Lady Pirates to find something to hang their heads about.
Matanzas (24-3-2) had the best season in the school’s soccer history — boys or girls. The Lady Pirates claimed a district championship and a regional championship en route to the program’s first ever Final Four.
“We achieved quite a bit this year,” Benvenuto said after the game, with a chuckle. “I’m proud of my girls. We’re just going to regroup and hopefully come back again next year.”
Matanzas will lose key players to graduation: Gabbi Paiz (the program’s all-time leading scorer) and midfielders Abby Barker and Michelle Dominguez graduate. Gabby Foran and Sam Stack, both defenders, also graduate.
But the bulk of the players that made this year’s Final Four run will return: Miracle Porter (68 goals, 16 assists), Karen Rodriguez (21 goals, 21 assists), Bailey Pickering (seven goals, 13 assists), Bella Benvenuto (20 shutouts, 0.46 goals against average), Claire Slamka (five goals, eight assists) and Leanna Ballschmieder (19 goals, 15 assists).
Defenders Haley McQueen and Payton Tucker will also return.
Beyond soccer, though, Benvenuto said he thinks his team has created something special for the entire school.
“Winning is contagious,” he said. “I think we started something where our girls literally gave a big infusion to our entire school spirit.”
Merritt Island took a 1-0 lead in the fifth minute on a ball served back into the box and then flicked on toward the net. Two Lady Mustangs players were there, and Alyson Wheble was able to flick the ball past Matanzas keeper Bella Benvenuto.
Coach Tony Benvenuto said he thought both players were offside.
“I don’t know much about soccer, but I’m pretty sure the first goal was offside,” he said. “Merritt Island won fair and square. I really believe we were playing against 14 players today. The referees were awful on both sides.”
Merritt Island (17-2-3) scored its second goal just seconds after the second-half water break, with about 19 minutes left.
For past coverage of the Lady Pirates' dream season, CLICK HERE.
