Fleming Island had a bit of trouble adjusting to the statewide spotlight Friday, and as a result, the Golden Eagles won't be playing for the state soccer championship in Fort Lauderdale on Saturday.
Fort Lauderdale's St. Thomas Aquinas, playing in its own backyard in a final four tournament its been to -- and won -- before, dealt the Golden Eagles a tough 3-0 loss Friday afternoon, ending the team's best-ever season at 23-2-3.
"We had some first-half jitters," coach Frank Pontore said of his players. "But we came back and played well in the second half."
By that time, however, Aquinas (22-5-4) had already taken a 2-0 lead. The victors' third goal came in the last five minutes as Pontore moved his players forward in a last-ditch effort to salvage the match.
The coach said shots on goal were about even for both teams, "they just made their count."
"They maintained their position well," the coach said of Aquinas. "And they were quick to counterattack, which caught us off-guard a little bit."
Fleming Island had numerous corner-kick opportunities in the second half (Pontore estimated 11) but weren't able to capitalize on any.
"You live and you learn," said Pontore, hinting that this experience can only help in future playoff efforts.
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