- April 22, 2024
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Down 2-0, with less than 10 minutes remaining in the match, and their best scoring opportunity amazingly blocked by Steven Ferguson, Matanzas could’ve given up and tried next time. Instead, the Pirates scored back-to back goals to tie the game with eight minutes remaining, and scored the game winner with 11 seconds left to shock crosstown rivals, Flagler Palm Coast, 3-2 Saturday, Nov. 14, at FPC.
“It feels good to be county champs again,” coach Rich Weber said. “A lot of these guys were on the team last year, which was the best season I had, and the adversity they hit was like nothing we’d ever seen, but these kids clearly learned from it."
After the teams traded chances in the first half that came up empty, FPC took the lead, when Nield Joseph launched a power shot from near midfield that knuckle balled in the back of the net to give the Bulldogs a 1-0 lead. Holding on to a small lead, the Bulldogs got more breathing room from Buchanan Mercius, who received a pass in the goalie box and put it in the back of the net to put FPC up 2-0 with 15 minutes left in the game.
“2-0 is the worst score to have because you get complacent,” coach Reg Monsanto said. “I think the guys thought that was the end because it looked like Matanzas ran out of gas. I told them they play in spurts, and their last spurt came, and we couldn’t match it.”
The match turned on its head, after Matanzas sophomore Tarik Konar dribbled through the entire defense and past the goal keeper to put the ball in the net, bringing the Pirates within a goal with eight minutes remaining. Just a minute later, Nathan Hubbs tied the game and gave Matanzas the remaining of the game’s momentum.
Going under 30 seconds, the Pirates stole the ball and took it down to FPC’s side, and, when Dakotah Casale received it, he knocked it past Ferguson for the go-ahead score.
“We really showed a lot of heart,” Weber said. “My biggest concern was that we lost 12 seniors, so, when you get in a big game like this and go down 2-0, but you score three unanswered was big for our mentality. This team has a bit of a chance; I think got a little spark to us.”
About his team, Monsanto added, “These guys are not used to adversity. This is a different bunch; we lost our leadership last year, and these guys are learning how to be leaders, so hopefully we can grow from this.”
Matanzas and FPC will meet again for El Clasico No. 2 on Jan. 2, 2016.
