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Seabreeze's Addison Sanders kicks the ball in from the sideline. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Makenzie Goebel with the ball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Eva Sites, Isabella Kummernes and Ivy Chen run off the field. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Hailey Sammons and Seabreeze's Madison Opalewski chase afer the ball. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Ivy Chen (center) looks for an opening. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Kaylee Goebel (right) marks a Spruce Creek player. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Crabsters' Makayla Barbel tries to kick the ball past Ivy Chen. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Hailey Sammons and Eva Sites. Photo by Brent Woronoff
FPC's Hailey Sammons (left) marks Makayla Barbel. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Seabreeze's Gabby Dioquino with the ball as FPC's Skyler Strickland (left) closes in. Photo by Brent Woronoff
The Palm Coast Blasters' Skyler Strickland (right) looks for a pass from Erin Hughes. Photo by Brent Woronoff
Six FPC players get ready to replace their six teammates on the field. Courtesy photo
Last year, Flagler Palm Coast had two girls teams in the 7v7 high school summer soccer league. This year, coach Pete Hald decided to go with one team of 13 players.
“It’s kind of like a stacked team vs. last year when we split everything up,” Hald said.
FPC’s team — the Palm Coast Blasters — defeated the Crabsters 5-1 on Wednesday, June 5, on the opening night for the girls teams in the Royal Palms SC 7v7 High School Soccer League at the Indian Trails Sports Complex.
None of the Crabsters, representing Seabreeze and the Ormond Beach Soccer Club, have played high school soccer yet. Most of the players are incoming freshmen with a few seventh and eighth graders mixed in.
Unlike FPC, Seabreeze has two teams in the six-team league. The Claw fell to a Spruce Creek squad 7-0.
Christine Goebel, the coach of the Crabsters, said her young players held their own against the Blasters’ stacked team. The score was 3-1 before the Blasters added two late goals.
“That was not a 5-1 game,” Goebel said. “They did a good job finishing their chances, and we didn’t. We didn’t have as many chances to capitalize on, but we got a goal, and I was thrilled with that. The score doesn’t really portray how well we played the majority of the game.”
Gabby Dioquino scored for Seabreeze. Erin Hughes had two goals for FPC, while Skyler Strickland, Hailey Sammons and Isabella Kummernes each added a goal.
“The competition was good,” said Hald, who played two groups of field players, substituting six players at a time in three- to five-minute increments.
“It’s a hard game because there’s so much more movement,” Hald said. “In 11 on 11, you’re off the ball a lot, you can rest. Here, you don’t have a whole lot of time to rest. You get more touches on the ball. You’re involved more, which is makes it a better game, to get better at the game.”
“We want them to be serious, but I want them to have serious fun.”
— PETE HALD, FPC girls soccer coach
The atmosphere is more relaxed, Hald said.
“We want them to be serious, but I want them to have serious fun.”
The boys opened league play on Tuesday, June 4, with FPC’s two teams each winning. FPC’s Team 2 defeated the Panthers of Palatka 6-0. FPC Team 1 defeated the Flashes FB Club, representing St. Joseph Academy, 8-4.
There are six boys and teams and six girls teams in the league which will continue on Tuesday and Wednesday evenings through the end of July, said Ramtin Amiri, FPC’s boys soccer coach, who runs the summer league.
The other boys teams in the league are from Crescent City and St. Augustine Pedro Menendez. The girls teams include two teams from Spruce Creek and one from Menendez in addition to FPC and two Seabreeze squads.
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