The Laker/Lutz News

Serving Lutz since 1964 and Pasco since 1981.
Proud to be independently owned.

Sam Koleduk

Imagine School captures girls soccer title

By

Caidee Sumner and Bella Wood were determined to end their middle school soccer careers on a high note.

The eighth-grade team co-captains did just that — leading the Imagine School of Land O’ Lakes Dragons to the 2019 Tampa Charter Athletic League (TCAL) girls soccer championship title.

“It’s our last year here and we wanted to go out as a champion,” Wood said.

The Dragons (9-2) entered the TCAL playoffs as a No. 3 seed, after losing its only regular season contests to Learning Gate Community School and Lutz Preparatory School, respectively.

The Imagine School of Land O’ Lakes girls soccer team won the 2019 Tampa Charter Athletic League championship. It marked the middle school team’s second title in three seasons. (Courtesy of Sam Koleduk)

In each of those defeats, the Dragons were without one of those team captains.

But, with its top two players fully available for the playoffs, the Dragons were poised to claim its second TCAL title in three years.

Sumner’s presence was undoubtedly felt in the games that mattered most.

In the semifinal game against the No. 2 seed Learning Gate, Sumner scored an unheard of four goals in the team’s 5-3 win.

She followed that performance in the title game, scoring the lone goal in the 1-0 win against No. 1 seed Lutz Prep.

It was par for the course for the Dragons forward, who led the team with 42 goals.

Said Sumner, “It’s really nice just to know that my last year here, I get to score the last goal. The ball got up the field by our team for me to score, so I mean it’s a team effort.”

She added: “Every goal I scored, I was thinking for our team, ‘I have to score. I’m the scorer. I have to score for us to win.’ Every goal was for this team, which was really nice just to score to know that like we’re going to win, and the team’s behind me.”

As the one-nil score would indicate, Lutz Prep was the Dragons’ toughest test all season long.

The Dragons figured as much heading into the game.

“We were fighting the whole time, until we scored the goal,” Wood said.

“We had that drive just to win,” Sumner said. “I told them (teammates) before, ‘We have to fight hard if we want to win this game, and we did. We came through.”

The victory added extra meaning as it marked the third straight year the two local charter schools have matched up in the title game. The Dragons lost to the Bolts in last year’s championship, but won in 2017.

“Those are our rivals. We always want to beat them,” Sumner said.

Such familiarity helped the Dragons’ game plan for the Bolts, Sumner said.

She explained: “Over the years, we learned that they had a few of their stronger players we have to watch out for, so we just focused on them, marking them, blocking them, like putting them down so they just didn’t get the ball much.”

The championship put a bow on a season where the Dragons posted seven shutouts and outscored opponents 75 to 9.

It was also a proper sendoff for a quartet of eighth-graders moving on to the high school ranks, made up of Sumner, Wood, Natalie Magharus and Trinity Slone. The rest of the team’s fifth-, sixth- and seventh-graders are expected to return next season.

“I’ll miss everyone because it was so fun,” said Wood, who’s moving on to Land O’ Lakes High School with Sumner. “We were a family, and it’s going to be hard to leave them because we’ve known them for three years.”

The season likewise couldn’t have ended any better for Dragons first-year coach Henry Cheung, who coaches the team alongside Saint Leo Hall of Famer Sam Koleduk.

“Overall, it’s a good season. I am proud with the girls for what they did, and I’m happy my first year coaching I got a championship,” Cheung said.

He added: “The girls are hardworking. They gave everything they had.”

Coaching chops aside, Cheung credited the team’s talent level and ability to play together as reasons for the on-field success.

“We’re united,” he said, noting the team knows how to play well together.

And, despite the exodus of Sumner, Wood and the others, the coach has high hopes for next season.

“I’m looking forward to next year,” Cheung said. “Under coach Sam (Koleduk) and all the other girls, we’ll do good next year, too.”

2019 Imagine School girls soccer roster

  • Abigail Courtney
  • Madalyn Courtney
  • Lilie Shen-Dale
  • Ava Folkman
  • Emily Folkman
  • Angelisse Force
  • Natalia Magharus
  • Aurora Nelson
  • Julissa Novillo
  • Siena Pena
  • Madylena Perez
  • Annelisa Russo
  • Trinity Slone
  • Mya Smith
  • Caidee Sumner (co-captain)
  • Gabriella Suppa
  • Payton Webster
  • Bella Wood (co-captain)
  • Keeley Yarbrough
  • Coach: Sam Koleduk
  • Coach: Henry Cheung

Notable performers

  • Caidee Sumner — 42 goals, 13 assists, 97 points
  • Bella Wood — 15 goals, 17 assists, 47 points
  • Annelisa Russo — 13 goals, 9 assists, 35 points
  • Julissa Novillo — 3 goals, 12 assists, 18 points
  • Madylena Perez— 4 goals, 7 assists, 15 points
  • Lilie Shen-Dale— 2 goals, 4 assists, 6 points
  • Keeley Yarbrough — 7 shutouts

By the numbers

  • 9-2 overall record
  • 75 goals scored
  • 9 goals allowed
  • 7 shutouts

Game-by-game results for 2019 season

  • New Springs School (13-0 win)
  • Sunlake Academy (15-0 win)
  • Henderson Hammock (10-0 win)
  • Trinity School (7-0 win)
  • Learning Gate (1-0 loss)
  • Lutz Prep (5-4 loss)
  • Hillsborough Academy (7-0 win)
  • Classical Prep (6-1 win)
  • Terrace Community (7-0 win)
  • Tampa Charter Athletic League Semi-Final: at No. 2 seed Learning Gate (5-3 win)
  • Tampa Charter Athletic League Championship: at No. 1 seed Lutz Prep (1-0 win)

Published April 17, 2019

Sunlake’s Hrenko sets national mark for shutouts

By

A lack of height isn’t an issue for Sunlake High soccer phenom Danny Hrenko.

The 5-foot-10 Hrenko, a senior goalkeeper on the Sunlake Seahawks soccer team, achieved his 75th shutout on Dec. 14, setting a new national career record for the NFHS (National Federation of State High School Associations).

“Once I broke the record, it was definitely a good feeling,” said Hrenko, who has started as Sunlake’s varsity keeper since his freshman year. “I definitely felt a huge sense of accomplishment over my last four years here playing high school soccer.”

Sam Koleduk, head Seahawks soccer coach, put the accomplishment in context.

Sunlake High goalkeeper Danny Hrenko set the national career shutout record on Dec. 14. (Courtesy of Sam Koleduk)
Sunlake High goalkeeper Danny Hrenko set the national career shutout record on Dec. 14.
(Courtesy of Sam Koleduk)

“You’ve got to look at the record, and if you put it into perspective, he’s going to average over 20 shutouts a season, which is quite remarkable. I think it’s the biggest accomplishment in probably Pasco County soccer history and, probably, in the state of Florida.”

Thomas Gallagher, who played at St. Louis Christian Brothers College High School in Missouri, set the previous record of 74 career shutouts in 1997.

Interestingly, Hrenko had “no idea” how close to the shutout record he was before the start of the 2015 season, until someone gave him the heads-up, so he could keep track of the statistic.

“At the beginning of the season, I was made aware of it, and I started counting down game after game, ‘only 12 more, only 4 more,’ or whatever it was,” he said.

With a significant chunk of the season remaining in both the regular season and postseason, Hrenko has an opportunity to put the longstanding record even more out of reach for high school goalkeepers across the nation.

“He’s not only going to break the record, but he’s probably going to shatter it by 10 or 12 by the end of the season,” his head coach said. “I think it’s pretty remarkable.”

Hrenko, who has played soccer since age 3, has only been a goalkeeper for the past seven years. The position change happened by accident after he tried it out one day in practice and quickly realized he had a knack for it.

With additional instruction from Koleduk and Tampa Rangers coach Mike Connell, Hrenko was able to take his goalkeeping production to new heights by improving his footwork, leaping ability and overall comprehension of the game.

“I got the proper training and the proper coaching, and everyone was behind me,” said Hrenko, who used to be a midfielder. “And, I definitely worked on being the best I could be at my position.”

Also, not having an interest in playing other sports like football or baseball allowed Hrenko to put all of his focus on soccer, where the additional experience allowed him to develop his skillset even more.

“Playing so many games for high school, playing so many games for club and training all the time, it definitely has added another dynamic to my game,” said Hrenko, who has played in more than 100 high school soccer games.

While his natural athleticism allows him to be a physical presence in front of the net, it’s Hrenko’s leadership skills on the field that really stand out, whether it’s organizing the team’s defensive structure or giving his teammates direction during a game.

“It’s like having a coach on the field,” said Koleduk, praising his standout goalie. “He basically instructs everybody where to be… like if a kid makes a couple of bad passes, he’ll get up to him and talk to him. And, he does it in a good manner. He’ll get up and explain what his teammates are doing wrong, even during the game he’ll do it, and I think the kids appreciate that.”

Hrenko’s consistency and eye-popping statistics over the past four years have drawn the interest of several Division II, Division III and NAIA (National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics) college soccer programs. However, he has yet to land a coveted Division I offer from a major university.

Both Hrenko and Koleduk agree that the main reason Division I programs haven’t called yet is because he’s less than 6-feet tall.

“I’d say it’s 100 percent his height,” Koleduk explained. “And, in his case, it doesn’t matter. It’s almost like an NFL quarterback like Drew Brees or someone that’s kind of shorter. There are certain guys that can do it and some that can’t. But, for some reason, a lot of the DI coaches want somebody that’s 6-foot-4 or 6-(foot)-5.”

“Not (being) tall enough is one of the main things, but I don’t let that get me down,” Hrenko said about the absence of Division 1 offers. “I try to play to the best of my ability, and I try to showcase myself in the best manner possible. I’ll just do my best and hope for the best. That’s all I can do.”

While the soccer player hasn’t received a Division 1 offer yet, Koleduk believes there is still a good chance one will come Hrenko’s way, possibly by March or April.

“Soccer’s a weird thing for scholarships,” Koleduk explained. “Even for the best field players…so much of it is done last minute because it’s not like (college) football where (programs) just have tons of offers and scholarship money. So, for soccer it’s a little bit more difficult; you’ve got to kind of wait it out a little bit.

“I think by the time it’s said and done, someone’s going to offer him that’s not scared of the height issue,” the coach said.

While Hrenko is proud of his individual accomplishments, he said the “ultimate goal” this season is to win a state championship with his team come February. The Seahawks have reached the state semifinals in the playoffs three consecutive years, falling short to the eventual state champion on each occasion.

Coach Koleduk noted this year’s Seahawks squad doesn’t have quite as many “superstars” as the past years, but the players have better cohesion and chemistry as a unit on the field.

“I think this year we’re maybe not as strong as we were last year, but I think we’re a better team,” Koleduk said. “We play better together.”

His senior captain agreed.

“This year, I think we have more camaraderie, more teamwork, more understanding of each other,” Hrenko said. “They’ve all been great squads over the past four years, but I think this squad has something special.”

Published January 6, 2016

 

Sunlake soccer success is no fluke

By

When a team finishes in the exact same spot for three years in a row, you might think that’s cause for concern.

Unless, of course, that “spot” is the state semifinals. Then, that consistency is a cause for celebration.

Connor Spencer and the rest of the Sunlake Seahawks had a great season, claiming a regional title and reaching the state semifinals for the third straight year. (Fred Bellet/Photo)
Connor Spencer and the rest of the Sunlake Seahawks had a great season, claiming a regional title and reaching the state semifinals for the third straight year.
(Fred Bellet/Photo)

The Sunlake Seahawks boys’ soccer team didn’t feel like celebrating immediately after last month’s 2-0 loss to Choctawhatchee.

Despite the loss, though, the game capped another stellar season for the Sunlake soccer program. The team finished with a 28-2 record — giving the team its third straight year with no more than two losses in a season. And, for the third year in a row they lost to the eventual state champion.

Choctawhatchee defeated Merritt Island in a rematch of last year’s state championship.

Now that the dust has settled, coach Sam Koleduk can look back on the season and recognize the team’s accomplishments, and the difficulty they overcame just to get back to the state semifinals.

“I lost all four defenders from the previous year, and to only give up 10 goals the entire season was pretty remarkable,” he said. Overall, the team managed another Region 3A-2 title despite losing a total of seven starters from the previous season.

Most programs can’t lose that many starters without missing a beat, but Sunlake isn’t like most programs.

The school’s junior varsity team went 14-1 this past season, and Koleduk said many of those players could have played varsity at other schools.

Sunlake has so much talent it couldn’t fit these players on the varsity team, but they’re ready to step in and fill the roles vacated by this year’s graduating seniors.

One of those seniors is Cobi Shirmohammad, a forward who spent all four high school years on the team. This past season he chipped in 27 goals for the Seahawks, and Koleduk said his talents will be missed on the pitch.

“It’s his speed and tenacity. He’s very aggressive,” the coach said of Shirmohammad. “He’s a real hard worker.”

For his part, the senior is proud of his team.

“I feel like we accomplished a lot, honestly. Even though we didn’t win, we had a great season,” he said. “I left it all on the field. There’s nothing else I could do.”

When he says he left it all on the field, Shirmohammad isn’t kidding. He broke his collarbone in the state semifinal. Now, with 12 screws and a plate keeping it together, he’s around six weeks into a healing process that will take a few months.

Another benefit Sunlake has in soccer is the team’s activity at the club level. Every player participates in club soccer (Shirmohammad plays for the FC Tampa Rangers) and that training helps create a more professional atmosphere. And while many club players don’t bother with high school soccer, Sunlake’s players enjoy being part of the team and accomplishing team goals for the school.

That doesn’t stop when they graduate. Even though Shirmohammad is now considering college options and playing at the next level, he always will be a supporter of Sunlake soccer.

“Those are all my teammates, and I support them to the end,” he said.

Nobody should be surprised if that includes another regional title next season. While each year brings its own challenges, they should have the talent to compete at a high level and replace the graduating seniors with other talented players.

It also doesn’t hurt that their star goalkeeper, Danny Hrenko, will be protecting the goal once again. Hrenko already holds the state record for shutouts with 63, and with another season ahead of him, the national record is a possibility.

But for now, Koleduk is able to get past the semifinal loss and acknowledge another successful year. After the loss he told his team how proud he was, and looks back on what they accomplished with pride.

“In retrospect, it was really a good season for us,” he said.

Published March 18,2015

Sunlake really wants state soccer title

By

The Sunlake Seahawks boys soccer team went undefeated in their district last season on their way to a 29-2-1 record. And for the second straight year, they lost in the state semifinals.

Having two dominating seasons in a row would be a source of great satisfaction for any high school. But when it comes to competitive soccer, Sunlake isn’t just any school, and team members aren’t satisfied with bowing out in the final four.

If teams want to get past Sunlake’s soccer team, they’ll have to first get past star goalkeeper Daniel Hrenko, who has a habit of shutting out opponents. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)
If teams want to get past Sunlake’s soccer team, they’ll have to first get past star goalkeeper Daniel Hrenko, who has a habit of shutting out opponents. (Michael Murillo/Staff Photo)

“It’s disappointing, really, to go all that way twice and not win the championship,” goalkeeper Daniel Hrenko said. “Getting to the semifinals is a good accomplishment, but I feel like we could go farther, and we should have gone farther.”

Teammate Connor Spencer agrees.

“I kind of look back on it as a negative thing because it’s two years we’ve gone back to the same spot,” he said. “We’ve finally got the school behind us and supporting us, and then we just come up short every year.”

If players feel badly about their recent playoff results, that could be bad news for Sunlake’s opponents. Even though the season hasn’t started yet, the Seahawks are focused and working on taking a serious attitude into the beginning of the schedule as they try to get over the hump and claim a state title.

They’ll also take a familiar lineup into the season as well. Eight out of 11 starters are returning to the team, and Coach Sam Koleduk said the team’s veteran leadership makes them at least as dangerous as his previous teams.

“We know what it takes now,” Koleduk said. “I think we’re just as talented, maybe even better than last year.”

Last year’s team had plenty of talent itself, with Remi Pimm leading the nation in scoring. Pimm’s status with the team is uncertain at this time, and Koleduk said they’re preparing to not have him this season.

But with scorers like Spencer — who already has more than 90 career goals — they expect to be in good shape up front. And with solid goalkeeping from Hrenko, who led the nation in shutouts last season, opponents should be challenged to put goals on the board once again.

Sunlake’s team also benefits greatly from its athletes’ participation in club play, Koleduk said. While some teams might have just a few players who participate in local club soccer, all 26 members of his varsity team — from starters to reserves — play at the club level. That gives the Seahawks a higher caliber of talent, consistent focus on the game, and the depth to overcome injuries as they occur during the season.

Chris Wilkinson, another offensive-minded player, agrees that extensive club experience gives the Seahawks an advantage over many opponents.

“At the club level, you really know what you need to do,” he said. “A lot of other schools have some kids that play (club soccer) and some kids that don’t, and they struggle to gel in that sense.”

But all teams have weaknesses, and Koleduk acknowledges that defense is an area they had to retool in the lineup. The team lost talented starters from last year, so that’s something of an unknown headed into the season. But if practice is any indicator, Spencer says the defense looks ready to provide solid support while he tries to score goals.

“From what I’ve seen from the defense, they’re good enough to where I don’t need to worry about, ‘Are they going to mess up?’ at all,” he said. “I’m confident enough in them that they’re going to do their job and they know what to do.”

Having a capable defense makes things easier for him as a scorer, since he doesn’t have to worry about converting every opportunity or be concerned that the opposing offense will have an easy time connecting when they have the ball in Sunlake territory.

While it looks like another strong season is likely for Sunlake, it won’t be good enough for them unless it ends with a state title.

“We need to win it all,” Koleduk said. “That’s how I look at it, but we’ll definitely give it our best shot for sure.”

Published October 29, 2014

See this story in print: Click Here

Sunlake perfect in district, poised for playoffs

By

When the Sunlake High School boys soccer team defeated the Pasco Pirates 3-2 on Jan. 9, they probably weren’t surprised they won the game. The victory meant the team completed district play for the season with a perfect 16-0 record.

A perfect 16-0 record, and 23-1-1 overall, has the Sunlake Seahawks in position to go all the way to the top in boys soccer. And after a disappointing loss in the state semis last year, they’re ready to do just that. (Photo courtesy of Sam Koleduk)
A perfect 16-0 record, and 23-1-1 overall, has the Sunlake Seahawks in position to go all the way to the top in boys soccer. And after a disappointing loss in the state semis last year, they’re ready to do just that. (Photo courtesy of Sam Koleduk)

If anything, they might have wondered how they gave up two goals. Adding those two, the team gave up just four goals in 16 district games for Class 3A-District 8.

On the other side of the ledger, the Seahawks scored 101 goals in those same contests. They registered 13 shutouts, including six by the score of 8-0.

While they’ve dominated their district, they’re almost as good in overall play. They’ve collected a 23-1-1 record with 138 goals scored. But amazingly, that record is actually a slight drop-off from last year, when they won 30 straight games before losing in the Class 3A state semifinals to Ponte Vedra 2-1.

By the numbers, it might look like the Seahawks are an offense-first team. But according to Coach Sam Koleduk, that’s not really the case.

“We’re more of a complete team, I think,” he said. “Right now we’re the leading scoring team in the country, and we’ve also given up the least amount of goals, also.”

There are a few factors that go into building the kind of success they’re having at Sunlake, Koleduk said. The team has a lot of players who also participate in local clubs, so they’re not just thinking about soccer for their school schedule. That extra work allows them to stay on top of their game so they’re ready to play at practice and during games.

Their junior varsity program also is strong — the team was undefeated this past season. Koleduk said it allows him to replace skilled players who graduate with talented, experienced athletes who are ready to play at the varsity level.

Finally, having a good team allows them to adjust their style of play to put more pressure on their opponent. Instead of a more traditional 4-4-2 formation — with four players in the back, four in the middle and two attacking up front — Sunlake often plays a 3-4-3 formation, putting an extra attacker up front and forcing an opponent into a more defensive posture from the start.

But that type of attack also means fewer players on defense if the opponent breaks through, so the goalkeeper has to be ready to make the necessary saves. Fortunately for the Seahawks, sophomore Danny Hrenko has been up to the task. Picking up where he left off as a freshman, Hrenko is frustrating opponents on the rare occasions they create a scoring opportunity.

He said that while he’s the man in front of the net, his teammates are the ones who deserve credit for shutting down opponents.

“The key is really my defense, to be honest,” Hrenko said. “It’s all about organizing them.”

Even when there are fewer players in the back, the team’s style doesn’t put him in difficult situations, and the defenders are able to neutralize the opponent most of the time.

But when the team has had relatively close games, Hrenko has usually helped them come out of them with a win. He said he enjoys making tough saves and proving the team is as tough defensively as it is prolific on offense.

“I like when I have a good shot against me and I make a good save. It makes me feel like I’ve done my part on this team,” he said.

With many players doing their part — sophomore Remi Pimm leads the nation in scoring — getting a step farther than last year seems like a reasonable goal. And while Koleduk — who has been with the team since the school opened back in 2007 — acknowledges his Seahawks are a talented team with a lot of promise, he said there are more variables that go into a trip to the state finals and a potential championship.

And not all of them are in the team’s control.

“We’ve got to stay focused, and it sounds funny, but a little bit of luck,” he said. “To make it all the way through without losing, you have to have a little luck on your side also, I think.

“Basically, you have to stay focused and healthy.”