Jacksonville FL- The Girls Soccer Gateway Conference Semifinals are set after the conclusion of day two of the tournament. Mandarin defeated Paxon 4-1, Fletcher defeated Terry Parker 3-0, and Stanton defeated Lee 12-0. Perhaps the biggest shocker of the second round was Sandalwood’s defeat of Atlantic Coast at Atlantic Coast. The Stingrays were stung with frigid temperatures and frozen limbs as the Saints out hustled them throughout the contest on their way to the 6-0 victory.
Sandalwood would get scores from Ariana Montesdeoca, Hannah Bradshaw, Sara Davidson, and Elina Rosario. Ninth grader Daighon Lipson added two goals along with four assists on the evening to lead the Saints. The key to the victory was the passing of Sandalwood. The Saints passed the ball effectively leading to open field opportunities for one on one match ups. Atlantic Coast goalie Amber Wallace had several saves for the Stingrays, but it wasn’t enough as Sandalwood attacked the goal relentlessly. Reese Register registered two assists on the night in the winning effort that some believe was a m big upset in the conference. Assistant Coach Junior Montesdeoca commented, ” this is a very big win for us, the girls played together and we got the victory”. For Head Coach Bobby Reynolds and the Saints they now face rival Fletcher in the semifinal round, which is sure to be a heated contest.
Along with the Sandalwood/Fletcher match up, Stanton will face Mandarin in the semifinals at Patton park Wednesday. The winners will face each other for the Gateway Conference Championship.
