Story by Near Post Sports
Speed. Ponte Vedra used it Thursday to swim away with the regional title and into the final four of 1A girls’ lacrosse.
The Sharks (17-3) ousted the Gulf Breeze Dolphins, 18-1, before taking a six-hour bus ride home.
Their next opponent is Lake Highland Prep, a 26-2 victor over Edgewood. The remaining two teams on the other end of the 1A playoff bracket are Community School of Naples and American Heritage.
Ponte Vedra’s offense and midfield dominated. The ball barely left the Dolphins’ defensive half of the field in the first 25 minutes of play, while the Sharks netted 15 goals.
In the second half, Gulf Breeze made more, and sustained, possessions to the offensive half. It was in the last six minutes of play when Emma Ostrom buried a low shot to break the scoreless streak – her 41st of the 2021 season.
But the Sharks still maintained a huge chunk of the clock with possession. They were not pressing to score in the second half, either. They patiently passed the ball around the perimeter, running their offense like they had all the time in the world.
By the end, Ponte Vedra’s Sami Lowinger tallied four goals – putting her at a team-high of 51 for the season. In total, 11 Sharks found the net against Gulf Breeze.
The Dolphins mustered four shots on goal during the match, and finished the season with a 13-1 record.
All photos by Stu Camp
