BROOKSVILLE – Nature Coast’s boys soccer team had three goals coming into the season. Now, the Sharks have three days to come up with a fourth.
On Wednesday, they made team history, as Gilbert Delgado’s header found the back of the net with 2:30 left in overtime, and the host Sharks pulled out a 1-0 victory over River Ridge in a Class 3A, Region 2 quarterfinal.
“I was telling the guys last week, we had three goals at the beginning of the season: beat Pasco, win a district title and win our first-ever (regional) playoff game,” Nature Coast head coach Ian Wald said. “Sometimes it feels meaningless to create goals, you don’t get it as a kid. But when you achieve the only three goals you set out to do; man, you start to see that goal-setting is important.
“So, it means the world to us. Four straight trips to the district championship. Four straight trips to the playoffs. To finally come out victorious, it means the world to us.”
The Sharks (16-5-4) will play again on Saturday at Sunlake, in a semifinal match starting at 7 p.m. They had failed to advance to that round in five previous regional trips, including two years ago, when they lost to the Royal Knights in penalty kick on the same pitch.
As the two teams battled through a scoreless duel this time around, Wald and company began having flashbacks.
“My mindset was, ‘Not again.’ Two years ago, they beat us in PKs and certainly I feel like had we gone to PKs, they would have had us,” Wald said. “Their goalie was really awesome. He was just on top of his game and in practice we didn’t look real good at our penalty kicks. So, I didn’t have a whole lot of confidence in that to begin with.
“So, I watched what they did. I said, ‘I think they’re going to try to play for PKs.’ I said, ‘We’ve got to push hard.’ So, we just crowded the box. We knew as many throw-ins and corner kicks as we had, there had to be a mistake at some point. And it happened one time. That’s all it takes is one.”
River Ridge (16-5) keeper Alex Kostogiannes was indeed spectacular, making six saves including on a penalty kick by Matt Johnson with 11 minutes left in the first half.
But Nature Coast’s defense was equal to the task, as keeper Brian Urling made eight saves in recording the shutout behind defenders Kyle Pierce, Johnson, Chris Reckner and Trey Hall.
“Brian was amazing. For Brian to make that many plays, he kept us in the game. There was a lot of chances we could have hung our head, made a couple of mistakes and Brian made a save,” Wald said. “We’ve been preaching since about the district semifinal, defense wins championships. Our strikers will make opportunities and our strikers will create plays. But all they need to do is get one, because defense wins championships, and man did our back four play phenomenal.”
“You just try to do your best. Try to not make mistakes, try to work as a unit,” Urling said. “Honestly, our defense did most of the work. I didn’t have to do too much. Again, try to work together, try to cut down their chances.”
Finally, in the first 10-minute overtime, the Sharks were able to cash in on an opportunity when Reckner’s throw-in from the right of the goal found Delgado’s noggin and deflected past Kostogiannes.
Coincidentally, it was Delgado who tied the regional contest against the Knights back in 2015 on a late goal. This score also made Delgado the school’s all-time leader with 111 career points.
“Going into overtime, I said, ‘I’m going to finish this,’” Delgado said. “I came in this game with a mindset that I’m not tying it, I’m beating it. I’m going to finish it, and that’s what happened when I finished the header. It comes down to heart in the last minute. You put all your effort, your sweat, your grime in the first 80 (minutes). Then we play an extra 10 minutes, you don’t got no more gas. It’s coming from your heart.
“When I scored, I was like, ‘No, is this for real right now? It went in.’ Vinny (Stulec) I think either missed it and I was right behind him and I head it, but it was my opportunity to make something happen for my team.”
Reckner’s assist was so impressive, Delgado was initially confused when asked about the throw after the game, believing it was a corner kick.
“It was a nice throw. He continued doing what he’s supposed to do, throw the ball with some power, with some pace,” Delgado said. “That goalkeeper, I give him props. He’s excellent in the air, excellent in the air. But it comes down to who wants it more. We wanted it more, I wanted it more, my coaches, everyone wanted it more. So, I had to make something happen.”
Now the Sharks can turn their attention to the Seahawks, a team they lost to on Jan. 9, 6-0. Sunlake narrowly defeated Pasco on Wednesday, 4-3.
“What we’re going to have to do, there’s just no question about it Saturday, defense wins championships. Defense wins the important games,” Wald said. “Defense is a whole phase of soccer, it’s not just for the backs. So, if we pressure like that as a team, I think we’ll have a shot.”
Follow Chris Bernhardt Jr. on Twitter @cpbernhardtjr.