- April 24, 2024
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Seabreeze's Nate Thompson heads the ball toward the net against Tavares. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Cam Bowling makes a pass against Tavares. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze players surround Will Crotty (No. 23) after he scored a goal. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Will Crotty passes to a teammate against Tavares. Photo by Ray Boone
A Seabreeze player dribbles past a Tavares defender. Photo by Ray Boone
A Seabreeze player heads a ball toward the net against Tavares. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Nate Thompson dribbles the ball away from a Tavares defender. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Nate Thompson dribbles the ball away from a Tavares defender. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Nate Thompson dribbles the ball away from a Tavares defender. Photo by Ray Boone
A Seabreeze player tries to steal the ball away from a Tavares player. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Nate Thompson dribbles the ball away from a Tavares defender. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Nate Thompson dribbles the ball away from a Tavares defender. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Will Crotty heads a ball after receiving a pass. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze's Will Crotty celebrates after scoring a goal against Tavares. Photo by Ray Boone
Seabreeze soccer player Nate Thompson started the first five games of the season as a defender for the Sandcrabs. Then, first-year head coach Elias Freidus decided to shake things up. Freidus moved the senior forward, giving Thompson more frequent opportunities to score.
Thompson has since become the Sandcrabs’ leading goal-scorer, and during the Sandcrabs’ senior night game against Tavares on Tuesday, Jan. 8, he added on to his season total.
Thompson scored a game-high two goals as the Sandcrabs dominated Tavares 8-0 in Seabreeze’s final regular season game at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex (they’ll return to their home field once district play begins.)
“We tried to have fun, but we also want to make a statement every night to show that we’re no fluke,” said Thompson, who scored both of his goals near the midway points of the first half. “Even though we’ve been to states in back-to-back years, we want a third trip before all the seniors leave.”
Including Thompson, 11 seniors played their final regular season games at the OBSC.
Senior Will Crotty scored the game’s first goal on a header from a free kick 3 minutes into the contest. Crotty leads a star-studded back line that has played elite defense so far this season, surrendering only three goals in 16 games.
“I think together we’ve all just played our butts off,” he said. “That’s all I got to say about that.”
In all his years of coaching Freidus said he’s never been a part of a team with that kind of accomplishment.
“They’re something special,” he said. “I’m as proud of that as anything we’ve done.”
The Sandcrabs face the toughest part of their schedule in the coming days and weeks. They have three games left — all on the road. They play a 4-7 Eustis team on Jan. 10 before traveling to face rivals Spruce Creek and DeLand, who have only lost a combined five games this season.
“We’ve got to give everything we’ve got left,” Freidus said.
