Lake Region Can't Keep Up With Warriors in 6-1 Regional Final Loss; Auburndale Falls in PKs

Sun. February 03, 2013 at 1:00 a.m. | By Polk Preps Staff

By Mike Akins

Ledger Correspondent

EAGLE LAKE | The George Steinbrenner Warriors used a hat trick by Derek Gebhard to advance to the Class 4A regional final as they defeated Lake Region 6-1 in front of a vocal crowd on Saturday night.

The Warriors (17-2-1) will play the winner of Daytona Beach Seabreeze and Deltona Pine Crest in the regional finals. The Thunder, who advanced to this round for the first time in school history, end their season at 15-5.

Steinbrenner did not waste any time scoring as Enrique Barboto took a pass and knocked it in to the right part of the goal three minutes into the contest. Almost 10 minutes later the Warriors scored again as Austin Labhan made it 2-0 off a throw in from Noah Keene.

The Thunder turned up the pressure on offense and the result was a goal to cut the lead in half at 2-1 with six minutes left in the first half.

Fransisco Gonzalez took a pass from Brent Moore and got the ball past SteinBrenner goalie Christian Knight into an open net.

"We are trying to get to the level that SteinBrenner is at," Thunder coach Mike Balata said. "I know that he gave up six goals but our goalie (Hunter Radcliffe) was the MVP tonight, as he stopped numerous attempts late in the first half."

The Warriors put the game away in the second half using their team speed.

Two of the Warriors' goals came off of deflections as the ball hit the top of the goal post and right to Gebhard and Jason Collister, who also had two assists in the contest.

Class 3A Semifinals:

Auburndale Falls in PKs

MERRITT ISLAND | Auburndale fell to Merritt Island in penalty kicks 1-0 (5-4 PKs) Saturday night in the Class 3A regional semifinals.

"It went down the last man," Auburndale coach Guy Jenning said. "Their guy hit it and our guy missed it."

Jennings said the Bloodhounds (21-5-1) controlled play most of the night.

"We were definitely holding the ball more than they were but we couldn't get it in," he said

"They were very good defensively. They were fast to the ball. It was a good game."