SPRING HILL – On Thursday night, the Springstead Eagles (3-0) survived the Nature Coast Sharks (2-4) in a defensive battle at home. The score was knotted at zero for most of the night, but the Red, White and Blue left Booster Stadium with a win after a late goal broke the stalemate.
“Any time you play a rivalry game like this against Nature Coast, it is always going to be close,” said Eagles Head Coach Dominic Coco. “This is a big rivalry, and it is one of those things where one bad bounce defensively could cost you the game. We kept our composure, especially on the back line, and we found a way to win.”
Defense was definitely the name of the game in the first half. Springstead would maintain much more consistent pressure throughout the frame, but it would be the visitors who logged the most dangerous possession of the first 40 minutes.
With 12 minutes remaining in the period, Nature Coast’s Tanner Bennett kicked the ball past the goalkeeper who had crept up to defend the oncoming attempt. Then, just as the ball was nearing the net, Austin Stanina sprinted in and kicked the ball away just in the nick of time. The Eagles’ coach discussed Austin’s growth as a defender after the game.
“Austin has grown tremendously from previous years into this year,” said Coach Coco. “He’s really developed well. Something that we have seen since his time here, and I am very happy for him coming up the games for him.”
After halftime, Nature Coast would up the ante and push the ball onto Springstead’s territory more frequently. The game also began to get a bit more chippy as players began to draw more fouls and, subsequently, more yellow cards.
One such penalty, an offsides, would cost Bennett his best scoring opportunity of the period. Ten minutes into the second half, Bennett took a pass and rifled the ball into the right side of the net, but the referee blew the whistle and called him offsides just as he was making contact with the ball. Thus, no score.
Finally, Springstead would manage the only score of the evening with 10:38 remaining in regulation. Tyler Siebe took the ball streaking down the side of the field just past defenders and launched the ball towards the upper righthand side of the goal. The ball grazed off the goaltender’s hands and found its way home as the Eagles took the hard-fought win on Thursday night.
“I think, at the end of the day, any time you play a tough team like this, you got to be disciplined number one, defensively, but you also got to put the ball in the back of the net and have great skill and the attitude to finish,” Coach Coco said.
The Sharks will look to regroup and get back in the win column against the Citrus Hurricanes on Tuesday. The Red, White, and Blue will look to remain disciplined on defense against Crystal River next week. Springstead will travel to take on the Pirates on Tuesday.
