- April 18, 2024
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The Mustangs stand for the player introductions.
Mustangs senior Jacob Jordan (8) gets past Boone's Alejandro Duarte.
Sophomore sweeper Drew Clark heads a goal kick to a teammate.
Junior midfielder Ethan Sudsberry battles Boone defender Trevor Firkel for the ball.
Junior forward Timothy Sheredy (7) storms the Boone defensive box, past Boone sophomore Sam Rogers (4).
Sophomore midfielder Aiden Holzborn runs into Boone goalkeeper Matthew Cullen on a header attempt.
The Mustangs, including sophomore Drew Clark (24), react to a corner kick. Clark would later score the team's lone goal.
Sophomore midfielder Sam Leavy gears up for a long pass.
Aiden Holzborn fires a cross to the middle of the field, past Boone's Sam Rogers.
Senior forward Gio Christiano (11) guards Boone's Juan Gomez.
Mustangs senior goalkeeper Michael Plechy makes a second-half save to keep the team in the game.
Drew Clark celebrates after scoring a goal for the Mustangs.
Mustangs senior Jacob Jordan (white jersey) pokes a ball away from Boone junior Ian Haslacker.
Mustangs senior forward Naji Greene-Villegas looks for a teammate in the open field.
Drew Clark rips a long pass downfield.
Lakewood Ranch senior Jacob Jordan squats on the sideline after the team's 2-1 loss.
Mustangs senior defender Cade Schwarz sits on the team bench after the loss.
The Lakewood Ranch High boys soccer team struck first in its state semifinal match versus Boone High on the road Saturday in Orlando, with sophomore Drew Clark heading a loose ball into an open net after a corner kick late in the first half.
Unfortunately, the Mustangs relaxed after that, and gave up the tying goal a few minutes later. The Mustangs never threatened again until the game's final minutes, when they found themselves down 2-1. They could not capitalize. As a result, Lakewood Ranch's season has come to an end.
Junior Ian Haslacker and senior Sebastian Salazar had goals for Boone. Mustangs coach Vito Bavaro said this was the team's second time playing on a turf field. The game sped up on the surface, which forced the Mustangs to adjust. They also had to deal with windy conditions, but Bavaro made no excuses for the loss. In the end, Bavaro said, he was thrilled to even reach the final four.
“We could have been out three times (in the playoffs), and we pulled it around three times,” Bavaro said. “We worked our butts off. I am proud of these guys. There's nothing I would have done differently. There's nobody I would have wanted on the field more. There's no 'Oh, we should have done this or this.' We left it all on the field. We played our hearts out and we lost.
“I’m not disappointed. Honestly, to get this far is absolutely fantastic. I’m super proud of these guys. Getting to the final four two years in a row? That’s awesome.”
