Cape soccer building own legacy
Not since 2001 has Cape Coral High been to the state final four level in a team sport.
The boys’ soccer team now joins the Seahawks baseball team with that distinction. The baseball team lost in the Class 4A semifinals to Daytona Seabreeze, 6-2.
This soccer team wants to build its own legacy, perhaps leading to the school’s first team state championship.
“The scouting reports are in,” said Seahawks coach Aldo Nardiello. “We had a good practice today and some kids who were sick Saturday are better.”
The Seahawks (23-1-3) earned their trip to the Class 4A state semifinals with a 2-1 overtime victory Saturday over Lakewood Ranch in the Region 4A-3 finals. It was the Seahawks’ second win in extra time and their third in the last six postseason games.
About six minutes into the overtime period, the Seahawks were awarded a corner kick. Juan Cano’s curving kick from the left corner clanked off the crossbar and was cleared by the Mustangs’ defense, setting up another corner kick from the right corner.
Paolo Acosta’s bending kick to the middle reached Caio Amaral, who jumped higher than everyone else and buried a header in the back of the net for the game-winner. Amaral also scored the Seahawks’ other goal 15 minutes into the second half.
Goalkeeper Daniel Villamil finished with 15 saves against the Mustangs.
The Seahawks kick off at 5:15 p.m. Thursday against Celebration in the 4A semifinals at Pepin Stadium on the campus of the University of Tampa.
“Now we have to press the reset button,” said Nardiello. “There is no time to be on Cloud 9. We have no choice, we have to focus on the next one.”
It’s another road game for the Seahawks, who were 12-0-2 on the road this season. Their only loss came on their home field in the District 4A-11 championship game.
“We are not going to let playing on the road phase us,” said Nardiello. “We’ll play in a big, beautiful stadium on grass.”
Saturday’s game against the Mustangs was a rough, physical, demanding game.
“It kind of got us off our game,” said Nardiello. “It rattled us a bit.”
The Seahawks are getting back to the basics of their own strengths in practice this week.
“We’re tightening up our own game, focusing on our short passing game,” said Nardiello.
The Seahawks aren’t the only ones competing for a state championship this week.
Three wrestlers from Mariner and one each from Ida Baker and Cape Coral qualified for next weekend’s state meet by finishing in the top four at the Region 2A-3 meet at Charlotte Saturday.
Mariner senior Basil Minto continued his unbeaten streak (47-0) by winning all four of his matches to capture the regional championship in the 171-pound weight division to earn his second consecutive trip to the state meet.
Teammates Brett Hurt (145) and Nick Maynard (160) both qualified by finishing third in the divisions.
Brandon Gadad of Ida Baker (112) and Donnie Dupont (heavyweight) of Cape High both qualified as regional runners-up.
The state meet is Friday and Saturday at Lakeland.