Dolphin soccer season ends in regional finals, 3-0
BY BETH JONES Fernandina Beach News Leader

Photo courtesy of Monica Hoskins Johnny Miller kicks a goal kick during the Dolphins' 2-0 regional semifinal win last week.

The first of two Luis Rojas goals was all the Fernandina Beachg Pirates would need to clinch a Final Four berth Friday night. FBHS defeated the visiting Gulf Breeze Dolphins 3-0 in the Region 1-4A championship and will play at 5 p.m. Friday against Tampa Jesuit in the state semifinal in Fort Lauderdale.

"We heard they come out strong and pressure you," said Gulf Breeze coach Bruce Savage, who has steered the Dolphins to the regional final four times and to the state tournament in 2003. "We couldn't get out of our end. No question, we were under pressure. It's painful to lose."

The Pirates dominated from whistle to whistle, recording their seventh straight shutout and 19th this season for senior keeper Mike Wilson, who hasn't given up a goal in the postseason.

Rojas scored both of his goals in the first half and William Hunt added a goal with 8:32 left in the match. Scott Kellogg had two assists in the game. The Pirates took 16 shots on goal. Rojas now has 25 goals for the season.

The Pirates (19-3-4) had never made it past the regional semifinal game until this season.

Dolphins 2, Jacksonville Stanton Prep 1

Gulf Breeze scored early in both halves and didn't allow a goal in live action as they edged Stanton Prep in a regional semifinal match Feb. 6 at Dolphin Stadium.

"We put a lot of pressure on our defense with the scheme we play," Savage said. "They stepped up and made plays."

Gulf Breeze took control early as a free kick required a leaping save by Stanton's J.P. Turner. Two minutes later, in the fourth minute, Ross Sakey gave the Dolphins a 1-0 lead. His high arcing shot from the left corner went top shelf on Turner, who leapt into the air, but couldn't deflect it.

Another Dolphin shot hit the post in the sixth minute. Eric Keasler had a couple of runs before the first half water break, with one of his shots requiring a save by Turner at point blank range.

Cory Gibson fed a ball onto a running Stuart Parks in the 22nd minute, but Turner made a sliding save before Parks could get to it.

In the 29th minute, Nik Hoskins was called for a foul, although he appeared to have gotten the ball first. Johnny Miller collided with a Stanton Prep player as the ball hit the post. The ball ricocheted back to Miller, who smothered it for the save.

Miller made a pair of saves in the 38th minute, one on a free kick from about 30 yards out and the other on the ensuing corner kick.

Gibson would make it 2-0 four minutes into the second half, scoring from about 20 yards out off a pass from Keasler.

A Blue Devils shot in the 46th minute got past Miller, but he got enough of the ball to slow it down and smother it before it crossed the line.

Kyle Losoya made an open field tackle of a Blue Devil player in the 63rd minute to stop an advance. In the 72nd minute, Clarke O'Connor had a chance at an empty net goal, but a Stanton Prep defender knocked it off the line.

The Blue Devils would foil the shutout bid by scoring on a penalty kick in the 77th minute. Stanton Prep would send a 30- yard shot over the crossbar a couple of minutes later.

Jason Thompson contributed to this report