The Lady Conchs hit the road on Feb. 18 to play a talented Lourdes Academy team, which came out with a vengeance. Key West knocked Lourdes out of contention at districts last season, giving the Bobcats the fuel they needed to overcome the Conchs.
Mavis Bishop scored three goals and Colbie Turner netted two. Adriana Dall was credited with an assist and the team collectively picked up 19 ground balls and caused five turnovers, but it was not enough to overcome Lourdes, which ultimately won 11-5.
On Feb. 21, a visiting St. Cloud High School was overwhelmed early with a flurry of Conch scoring. The 16-3 win was truly a team effort in which even the newest players played a role. In all, Key West won 29 ground balls and caused a dozen turnovers. Turner won 10 draw controls, caused two turnovers and snagged an interception. The senior captain also scored five goals. Bishop scored six and was responsible for six of the team’s ground balls, five draw controls, three caused turnovers and an interception.
“It was a beautiful game on our part, great transitions, lots of hustle to get the ball back. Everyone got to play and everyone contributed in one way or another,” said Conchs coach Marissa Giacopuzzi, whose team stands at 2-1.
The Lady ’Canes also stand at 2-1 after a win and a loss last week. Coral Shores lost to Palmetto 16-3 on Feb. 18 on the road, but won against Keys Gate at home in an impressive 13-0 shutout.
Boys
The boys of Coral Shores improved to 5-1 after a pair of wins at home last week. Both wins were against district opponents, a testament to the strength of this year’s Hurricane squad. On Feb. 18, Coral Shores defeated Westminster Christian 9-3 in a contest that was closer than the score indicated for much of the game. Five unanswered fourth-quarter goals spelled disaster for the Warriors, though, and a fantastic display in goal by Brock Bynum for the ’Canes gave Coral Shores the win. Bynum had 18 saves for the Hurricanes to anchor the defense.
Offensively, James Mitchell led the scoring with five goals. Finn McDonough netted two and Christian Gonzalez scored one with two assists. Zane Martinez added one goal and three assists to the team total.
Feb. 10 was a much more lopsided matchup, as the Hurricanes delivered a 20-2 loss to Keys Gate. Mitchell, Gonzalez and Martinez all racked up multiple goals, while Theo Shugarman, Andres Alvarado and Bynum scored their first varsity goals. Jace Jackson netted one goal and was crucial in the faceoff circle along with Connor Daniels.
“We were happy to pick up a couple district wins last week,” said Hurricane head coach Chris Carrow. “The boys played a very gritty game against (Westminster).” He added that the team has two big games this week, including Coral Reef and Belen Jesuit.
Key West’s boys kept their perfect record intact with a pair of wins last week. The Conchs won 10-7 at Coral Reef on Feb. 17 despite a limited roster. The goal-scoring was spread around, with Raffie Rice and Kieran Smith leading the charge with two each.
Mateo Lopez was outstanding in goal, saving 17 and keeping the Conchs in the game. “Mateo was key in keeping us ahead with countless saves when we needed them most,” said Conch coach Alberto Piceno.
Piceno was also pleased with Smith’s play on both sides of the field, praising his athleticism, grit and strong understanding of the game. The game ball, however, went to Rice, whose faceoff wins helped tip the odds in favor of Key West.
The Conchs then defeated Cardinal Gibbons 9-4 on Feb. 20 to put them at 3-0 this season. Carlo Vernieri led the charge with six goals, while Sawyer Hill added two and Max Louchheim accounted for the final goal against Gibbons. Owen Dougherty was credited with two assists while Lopez added 15 saves.
Vernieri received the game ball in the home opener, despite feeling under the weather. “Carlo, who is always looking to involve everyone and create for others, took it upon himself to give us six much-needed goals,” Piceno said. “He wasn’t feeling 100%, yet he did what was necessary to help us get the win.”
