Special to the Recorder
The Christmas break did not serve the Lady Sharks soccer team very well. Since the holidays, the Ponte Vedra girls lost two games – one to district foe Pedro Menendez and the second to non-district opponent Creekside. They now stand at 7-4-6 overall and 4-1-1 in their district.
It is unusual to see Coach Dave Silverberg’s team lose two straight at any time, but to lose two straight and score just a single goal in the two games is practically unheard of. The 1-0 loss to Menendez had to be disappointing, not only because Menendez is the team to beat in District 3A-4 but also because the Sharks saw three of their best shots on goal bounce off the goal posts or the crossbar. After Ponte Vedra failed to convert those early opportunities, the visitors took advantage of a loose ball that glanced off the cross bar and fell in front of the Shark cage at the 28-minute mark.
The Sharks had several more opportunities in the second half – the best on a high shot that the Pedro keeper leaped high to deflect over the top of the cage – but weren’t able to finish a play.
Creekside came into the Shark Tank owning an earlier 2-0 win over Ponte Vedra and wasted little time proving that win was no fluke. The Knights scored four times in the opening 40 minutes, then cruised to a 6-1 decision. Ponte Vedra’s lone goal came at the 21-minute mark of the second half, when Caroline Lesher converted a feed from Lyla Adamo.
