Wednesday evening, Weeki Wachee Hornets (12-7-1) entered Nature Coast’s Shark Tank in an attempt to win the district championships. In a matchup that would feature a scoreless first half and phenomenal defense from both sides, the Sharks (13-6) would pull away late in the second period to score three goals and go on to be this year’s district champs.
“Today started a little bit rough, took us a second to get our feet moving and our passing working,” said Head Coach Amy Mainella of Nature Coast. When asked what she thought was a key moment in the game, she said, “Making the first goal…it really brought us alive.”
Key players for the Sharks were #1 Kennedy Rasmussen (Fr.) with 6 saves, #3 Jaiden Gilbert (Jr.) with 2 goals, and #6 Madalyn Cullum (Sr.) with 1 goal and 1 assist.
According to Head Coach Tom Pellito of Weeki Wachee, “Compared to the regular season, this was a good performance for us. We got a lot of close calls…we just couldn’t put it in the net.”
Key players for The Hornets were #2 Jillian Aldrich (Jr.), who holds the most goals in 4A in the state, and #10 Christine Lisk (So.) with 11 saves.
Nature Coast will compete in the regional quarterfinals on February 7, 2023. The matchup, location, and time are TBD.