Special to The Laker/Lutz News

By Kyle LoJacono

The University of Tampa (UT) women’s soccer team can boast a 11-3-1 record and the No. 24 national ranking while being tied for first place of the ultra competitive Sunshine State Conference (SSC).

The Spartans have outscored opponents 49-9 this season, thanks in large part to the production of two young ladies who once fought for high school supremacy on fields in North Hillsborough County.

Sophomore midfielder Laruen Moore and freshman forward Cici Gonzalez, who graduated from Gaither and Steinbrenner, respectively, played against each other three times in high school.

Gonzalez got the better of the Cowboys during the 2008-09 season when, as a freshman, she scored three goals to help Sickles win 6-0. That contest showed Moore what her future teammate could do.

“I always knew she was a threat,” said Moore, who is studying advertising and public relations.

The matchup ended in 1-1 and 0-0 draws the next two years when Gonzalez moved to Steinbrenner once the school opened in 2009.

“I knew that she was the most skillful player for Gaither and someone who we had to watch,” said Gonzalez, a criminology major.

The two attended Martinez Middle and had mutual respect for one another; but because they were never on the same team at any level, they were like strangers in UT’s early practices. They had no idea what kind of a scoring duo they would become.

…

Moore and Gonzalez first picked up soccer around age 5.

For Gonzalez, it was like love at first sight.

“I actually don’t know why I liked it so much,” Gonzalez said. “When I was little I loved to run. It’s just a great game, and scoring goals is a lot of fun.”

A Halloween tournament in Largo sealed her passion.

“I remember the first time I went to a real tournament when I was 10 with my team,” Gonzalez said. “We won the finals and I scored both goals. It was a good feeling to do that. It was nice to feel important and to win.”

Moore also played point guard for Martinez’s basketball team, but the hard courts could not offer the same thing as the pitch.

“I think it really helps me clear my mind,” Moore said. “It is a release for me from school and everything. Even though it’s super hot, it’s just really fun. I just love working to get better.”

Moore joined a Gaither team that had a revolving door at coach and struggled to compete.

The Cowboys went 5-6-1 in her freshman season, but improved to 12-6-2 three years later while making the postseason for the first time since 2005 and made the regional finals for the third time in the school’s 28-year history.

The breakthrough season and a new coach helped fuel Moore’s competitiveness.

“We had two coaches my first two years, and Trevor (Scott), who was the coach the last two years, he really focused hard on us and wanted us to do well,” Moore said. “That really helped, and we went out and worked our butts off. It was really cool to have such a turnaround from my freshman year to senior year. It made me care about it more because of how much he cared about the team.”

Moore racked up a team-high 13 goals that season. She finished her high school career with 38 tallies and 19 assists.

Gonzalez was an offensive force during her three years at Steinbrenner. Her 78 goals, 63 assists and 219 points all stand as Warriors career records. Add in the 19 goals and four assists she recorded while at Sickles, and Gonzalez totaled 97 goals, 67 assists and 261 points in high school.

Gonzalez, who was a member of the Tampa Bay United (TBU) Girls Premier club that won the FYSA state championship this summer, was also part of playoff teams every year in high school, including three district titles while at Steinbrenner.

The Warriors went 54-7-6 during her time with the squad and Gonzalez was named The Laker/Lutz News Girls Soccer Player of the Year following the 2010-11 season when Steinbrenner won the Class 4A state championship on UT’s home field.

“Right after states is when I committed, so absolutely playing in the atmosphere was something I wanted to keep doing,” Gonzalez said. “I wanted to go to a school that had a chance to do big things and win a national championship.”

The state title on the Spartans’ field helped seal her decision, but Gonzalez and Moore both had strong feelings about UT before playing a high school game.

…

Gonzalez first saw her new home field at age 11 as part of a day camp.

“My whole team came when I was 12,” Gonzalez said. “We got to stay here overnight for four days. It was really fun, so I had great memories here. … At the beginning I thought this is where I want to go for sure.”

Moore had a similar experience around the same age.

“Every year for like five years we came, and at one camp Gerry (Lucey) had an interest in me playing here,” Moore said. “Then I started thinking about it. I never thought about playing here before then, but I’m glad I am.”

Lucey, who has been the Spartans coach for six years, is equally glad with their decisions to join the squad.

“Both of them are very technically clean and very driven individuals,” Lucey said. “They have the knack of scoring goals, so those are a few ingredients there that we thought would positively add to our program.”

Moore, who has started all 15 of UT’s games, did not disappoint in her first season. She scored nine goals, tied for the team high.

“Last year I was really nervous,” Moore said. “I just wanted to come in and do my part for the team. I wasn’t expecting to start at all. Just wanted to play well and learn what they wanted me to learn. It just ended up that I was in the right place at the right time for a lot of goals because of what (Lucey) has taught me.”

This season, Moore has a team-high 13 goals and 30 points. Lucey said Moore has increased her leadership along with her production.

“We have a young team, and she’s taken it on herself to lead by example,” Lucey said. “She knows that we’re going to rely on her to score goals, and that’s a responsibility that she can handle, but leadership has been big. Against Barry she took a (penalty kick), and she basically grabbed the ball and said this is mine, I’m taking it and I’m going to put it in the back of the net, and she did.”

Gonzalez said Moore is also great at picking up her teammates.

“She tries to build everyone’s confidence, and she’s someone you can talk to if you feel shaky about anything,” Gonzalez said.

Gonzalez has not wasted any time either. She has a team-high 62 shots with 11 goals and 26 points while starting all 15 of the Spartans’ games.

“She’s doing great things, and has really made a name for herself early,” Moore said. “She scored the first two goals of the season. If you just came out to this team and watched us play and didn’t know her you’d think she was older.”

Lucey added, “I won’t say that she’s been a surprise because we knew what she was capable of, but she’s definitely lived up to our expectations being out there on the field and contributing significantly as a freshman. She’s exceeded the expectations by scoring more goals than we thought out of a freshman.”

Gonzalez is only the third freshmen in program history to score double digit goals. She sits only behind Jocelyn Charette’s 21 in 2006 and Shelby Kuni’s 13 in 2005 in terms of most tallies for a UT freshman.

“I just wanted to play,” Gonzalez said. “I wanted to make an impact and make a name for myself while helping the team. … Really, I just want to win. I don’t care if I’m scoring goals as long as we win. I don’t like to lose.”

The Spartans haven’t done much losing this season and sit in prime position to win their first regular season conference title since 2007.

Moore, Gonzalez and UT have two more SSC contests this season. They host Nova Southeastern Oct. 16 at 6 p.m. before traveling to Florida Southern Oct. 20 at 5 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Kyle LoJacono

Morgan Crescent never tied herself to one sport while growing up.

The Land O’ Lakes High graduate did almost everything, including playing volleyball and softball for the Gators, while also being one of the nation’s highest rated amateur wake boarders.

“I just liked all of them, and I’m really competitive,” said Crescent, a sophomore goalkeeper at Eckerd College in Saint Petersburg.

Crescent, a business administration major, picked up soccer at age 10, but originally saw playing outside hitter in volleyball as her chance at college ball.

She gave up club soccer at age 14, but kept playing for Land O’ Lakes throughout high school as a midfielder. She turned back to the sport after being lightly recruited for volleyball, but not at her primary position.

“My senior year I decided to try out for goalie for Hillsborough County United,” Crescent said. “I ended up liking it, got offered from Eckerd and thought it was a great opportunity.”

Vicky King, who coached Crescent at Land O’ Lakes and at the Central Pasco United Soccer Association (CPUSA), said she knew her former pupil had the ability.

“She’s extremely athletic and wanted to learn how to be a better goalkeeper,” King said. “We had another keeper (Tara Marshall) who had started for us for a few years, so she knew she’d be a backup, but she still wanted to do it.”

Crescent got into four games as a senior at goalkeeper, making 11 saves and allowed seven goals in 141 minutes.

“At first I just wanted to know if I could do it,” Crescent said. “I didn’t have the technique, but I knew I could throw myself out there and make some of the saves even without any techniques.”

There was something about her competitiveness and raw ability that stood out to Tritons third-year coach Danielle Fotopoulos.

“Not only her athleticism, but she’s an all-around great person,” Fotopoulos said. “She’s a very good student. She’s someone that you want on your team. She always puts her arm around somebody if they need to be picked up. She’s a great leader on the field as well as off the field.”

Crescent began last year as Eckerd’s backup, but forced a platooning situation by the end of the season. She spent last summer training with the semiprofessional Tampa Bay Hellenic club.

“I didn’t really get to play, but I got so much good practice time,” Crescent said. “It really helped me with my form and what I’m supposed to do as a goalie.”

Fotopoulos said she’s seen a huge difference in Crescent’s game this season, which helped her win the starting job during the first two weeks of practice.

“Morgan has come up big in every single game and every half,” Fotopoulos said. “She’s been making some out-of-this-world saves. It’s all due to her preparation, but really her athleticism and competitiveness.”

She has played in 11 of the Tritons’ 12 games this year, including 10 starts. Crescent has gone 6-2-2 with 76 saves, five shutouts and a goals against average of 1.05 in 1,030 minutes.

Eckerd has also started to make waves in the Sunshine State Conference (SSC).

After going 0-1-2 to start SSC play, the Tritons won their next three, the first against Saint Leo University Sept. 26 to snap a 46-game winless streak in conference matchups.

“We had a lot of freshmen come in this year like we did last year,” Crescent said. “Last year, I know the scores didn’t show, but I think we competed better than before. I think that was the starting point for this year. The girls in my grade, I think that helped us realize what we wanted to accomplish because we lost so many games the year before. I think we’re rubbing off on the freshmen.

“We’ve been working really hard, and it’s starting to pay off,” Crescent continued. “We’re starting to realize that we can beat any team as long as we play with our hearts in it. It’s not always who has the best players, but who wants it more. We have some really talented players, but they’re putting their all into it, and that’s what’s helping us win.”

Crescent has made 18 saves and allowed just two goals in Eckerd’s conference victories, and was named the SSC Defensive Player of the Week for helping her squad to 0-0 draws against Florida Tech and Nova Southeastern Sept. 18 and 22, respectively.

“All the other coaches respect her,” Fotopoulos said. “Whenever I come off the field the other coaches say, ‘Wow, you have a great keeper.’ There’s a lot of respect for her not just with the team, but in the conference.”

Crescent and the Tritons host SSC rival Rollins Oct. 17 at 5 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Kyle LoJacono

The Bishop McLaughlin girls soccer team has been one of the area’s most consistent the last few seasons.

The Hurricanes have made the postseason the last two years and three of the last four. Being a part of the seventh-year program’s budding winning tradition helps drive the squad.

“It gives you something to look forward to, and to work harder to get farther than you went last year,” said junior forward/midfielder Rickelle Vetzel. “It’s fun to try and live up to the standards of the past.”

A return to the playoffs would be accomplished by a new cast of characters, as Bishop McLaughlin lost 10 seniors from last year’s squad that went 13-6-3 and finished as the Class 1A-District 7 runner-up.

“We had a good nucleus of talent come in right when I took over as coach,” said fifth-year ‘Canes coach Tim Gronau. “Any time you get quality, club-level players you can have some type of success.”

Among the graduates are the Bishop McLaughlin’s top scorers from a year ago in Spencer Valdespino (18 goals, 17 assists), who signed with Nickle State University, and Corrie Bexley (12 goals, 11 assists).

“Between the two of them there was 120 goals during their time here,” Gronau said. “It’s hard to discount their contribution. Along with that, they were leaders on the field. Corrie, she wasn’t a captain, but there was a certain field generalship that she had. They’re both gritty and played hurt a lot. They just had that drive and determination. Any time your teammates know you’re competing while hurting it inspires them to give their best too.”

The squad does return four starters from a year ago: senior forward/midfielder Katie Hellman (15 goals, six assists); junior midfielder Sarah Kyle; sophomore midfielder Katie Comfort; Vetzel (13 goals, nine assists).

Gronau said Vetzel and Hellman will be leaned on to help replace the production from the departures.

“They’ve demonstrated that they can play at a high level,” Gronau said. “What we need is for them to play with a lot more confidence. They’ve been on the team for three and four years, so they need to be more tenacious and gritty.”

Vetzel said she also wants to do more than just score goals.

“I’m hoping to be kind of a leader for the new girls coming in, and help them when they need something,” Vetzel said. “I want to get better myself, score more goals and be a big part of the team.”

Gronau said a number of players did get significant playing time last year because of injuries, such as sophomore defender/midfielder Beth Heidrich.

“I didn’t think I’d get to have that much playing time,” Heidrich said. “I expected to be riding the bench, so being able to start really made me a better player.”

Heidrich said the time on the field also gave her confidence in what she and her teammates can do.

“We know we can work hard and still be good,” Heidrich said. “We have a good coach and good players. We just need to work hard.”

The 1A-7 tournament is at Calvary Christian Jan. 15 to 18, with the final on Jan. 18 at 7 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

By Kyle LoJacono

For the first time, the Carrollwood Day School (CDS) volleyball team is feeling expectations.

The Patriots (17-6) have locked up the No. 2 seed in the Class 3A-District 8 tournament with a 3-1 record, the first time they’ve finished better than .500 in league play in their seven-year history.

“It’s been unbelievable,” said senior setter/rightside hitter Nicole Neugebauer, who has been playing with the squad since her eighth-grade year. “When I decided to come to CDS for high school, I wasn’t anticipating having a strong sports program because we haven’t had it in the past. As I’ve been progressing through high school, the program has gotten so much better. This season has been unbelievable. I didn’t expect it when we started this season.”

Neugebauer and senior libero Grace Kerkvliet, both team captains, said the program has come a long way the last four years.

“We started as a very small team my freshman year, and we’ve grown so much,” Kerkvliet said. “We’ve got a great group of girls who work really hard. We’ve got a great coach who teaches us new plays. It’s been great to see us all come together.”

Third-year CDS coach Travis Nead said it’s all been about building the program.

“The first year we got here it was about teaching the fundamentals,” Nead said. “Getting the right people in here who were committed, wanted to play and enjoyed the sport. We built on that last year to have the best season as of yet.”

The returning Patriots were also fueled by how close they were to making their first playoff appearance a year ago.

CDS lost a five-set marathon in the 3A-8 tournament to district host Bishop McLaughlin. A victory would have sent the Patriots to the postseason.

“When we were in districts against Bishop McLaughlin it was 12-11 in the fifth, and we ended up losing, unfortunately, by two points,” Neugebauer said. “It was heartbreaking, but going into my senior season it made me want to beat them that much more and do that much better in districts this year. I have a goal of making it past districts. … It’s fueled me a lot more.”

Kerkvliet added, “We knew what we could have done in districts last year. We know that, so we take that into practice each day.”

Along with the motivation to take another step is a new feeling around the program.

“Confidence I would say is different,” Nead said. “Last year, we didn’t have that season defining win. We didn’t beat anyone we weren’t supposed to. This year we do, and in each game we’ve got hope. That’s the biggest mindset changes.”

Nead said winning at Bishop McLaughlin 25-16, 25-14, 25-18 on Sept. 27 is one of those big wins. Not only did it help ease the pain from districts last year, but it also locked up the No. 2 seed in the 3A-8 tournament this season.

“It was one of our most constant and complete games,” Nead said. “In the past we might lose focus and let them win a set or come back and beat us. They didn’t let that happen this time. … We’re taking care of business. They’re going all the way in those tough games this year, and I’ve got to give it to my seniors because it’s coming from their leadership and their work ethic.”

Neugebauer said the extra effort will all be worth it for a trip to the playoffs.

“I don’t even have words for what it would mean to make it to regionals,” Neugebauer said. “I’ve only ever dreamt of it. When we started four years ago, I thought it would never happen for us. Now that we’re close, it would be incredible.”

The 3A-8 tournament is at Seffner Christian Oct. 22 to 25, with the championship match Oct. 25 at 6:30 p.m.

The Patriots hosted Academy at the Lakes Oct. 15, but results were not available by press time. They close the regular season at Bayshore Christian Oct. 16 at 6:30 p.m.

—Follow Kyle LoJacono on Twitter: @Kyle_Laker

CDS volleyball roster

No. Player Pos. Yr.

1 Casey Brynjolfsson S/RH Fr.

2 Kelsey Bridges DS So.

3 Aisling Sheehan OH So.

4 Nicole Neugebauer S/RH Sr.

5 Madison Ghodsi DS So.

6 Kylie Saigol OH Fr.

8 Nicole Ianni MH Jr.

13 Stevie Schweitzer MH Fr.

16 Grace Kerkvliet L Sr.

By Jeff Odom

While most of their fellow classmates are still sound asleep at 6 a.m., the Steinbrenner girls basketball team is busy conditioning to defend its Class 7A-District 9 championship.

Three days a week, fourth-year coach JR Allen gets his players together before the break of dawn for an hour of workout drills, telling them to “bring the juice” every morning before heading to their first class.

The squad performs sprints, bleacher runs and other exercises with certified athletic trainer and strength and conditioning coach Ryan Ward to stay in top shape well before the first game of the season tips off.

“We set the bar pretty high having a great year last year going 22-3, and then winning the district championship,” Allen said. “We realize that that was last year. We’re not the same team. We don’t have the same players. We still want to make sure we achieve the goal of defending that title at the very least, but we have higher aspirations of going further.”

The Warriors lost multiple seniors at the conclusion of last season that saw the Lutz program go perfect in district play. Principle among the departures is starting guard Alexis Wright, who is attending the University of Miami after averaging 6.3 points, four rebounds and two steals in 2011-12.

The squad also lost much of its depth and size, as 6-foot-2 center Rebecca Cohen (5.3 rebounds, 4.4 points, 1.5 blocks) and 5-foot-10 guard Gabby Sebastian (2.1 rebounds) also graduated.

Allen said the loss of his five seniors, all of whom grew up playing together in youth leagues, was like nothing he’s ever felt. He added that the early conditioning gives him a better eye for who can fill the void while helping the girls develop chemistry.

“Those girls are irreplaceable in my eyes,” Allen said. “Last year, we were one deep, sometimes two deep, on the roster. When (starting forward/center) Rachel Briere went down against Wiregrass last year, I had a senior in Rebecca Cohen who stepped up and just played great that night in a huge win that gave us confidence to win the district. Depth like that will certainly be missed until we find out what these new girls are capable of doing, which is why we do this.”

Many of Allen’s returning players are showing plenty of confidence early on.

Four-year starters like guard Justice Thigpen (4.6 assists, 3.4 points, 2.5 steals) and forward/guard Bailey Hooker (19.4 points, 5.8 rebounds, 2.8 steals, 2.1 blocks) are keeping the team focused with senior leadership.

Steinbrenner also returns junior guard Taylor Thigpen (four points, 2.8 assists), and may be close to getting back senior forward Lauren Shedd, who averaged 7.8 points and 5.2 rebounds in five games before being diagnosed with breaks in L4 and L5 vertebra of her back.

Allen said he has been very impressed with the workouts by sophomore center Rachel Briere (10.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, 2.4 steals), freshman Courtney Hall and senior forward Jessica Weatherman.

Weatherman, who is a kicker on the Warriors’ football while competing in track and flag football, said it works to her advantage with both football and basketball conditioning in the fall.

“It keeps me conditioned and keeps me in shape,” Weatherman said. “In football, I don’t have a big say because I’m the only girl. In basketball, I kind of show that a little bit more, and I like it.”

Hall, who played at Martinez Middle for Steinbrenner assistant coach Chip Geraghty, said it is a lot different, especially with the early schedule.

“The first week, it was tough because we were just starting, and I was out of shape,” Hall said. “I still am, but I’ve gotten better as we’ve gone on. It’s gotten easier.”

One of the team’s biggest rivals and 2011-12 district runner-up Freedom added power to its roster in the offseason with Faith Woodard, who transferred from Riverview.

Allen said he’s not concerned despite the Patriots’ addition of the 6-foot-2 senior forward who averaged 21.4 points, 11 rebounds, four steals, 3.1 blocks and three assists last season.

“They’re no disputing the fact that they’ve got great players over there, but sometimes it takes more than a great player to win a championship,” Allen said. “You’ve got to have some great chemistry, a little bit of luck and the talent doesn’t hurt either. When you can get 13/14 girls all buying in and believing one common goal, then special things will happen. I’m not worried with what’s going on over on Bruce B. Downs. I know our girls will be ready to go.”

Steinbrenner wraps up the morning team workouts this week, but will still have early conditioning for individual positions once the team is selected.  The first day of official practice is Oct. 22, with regular season games beginning Nov. 12.

–Stats as recorded to Maxpreps.com by coaches