The Ponte Vedra Sharks were so close to a return trip to the class 1A girls lacrosse final four, but it proved not to be in the cards as the Sharks fell 14-13 in an instant classic against the Episcopal Eagles.
It was a back and forth contest the entire night as both teams proved evenly matched and had an answer for seemingly ever score.
The offenses took a little to get going, as the teams were tied at three-all after the first quarter, but the pace quickly picked up and for the majority it was the Sharks grabbing control of the momentum.
A pair of goals by Lily Mosser were accompanied by scoring strikes by Hannah Toole and Brooke Johnson as the Sharks opened up an 8-5 lead at halftime.
Johnson showcased her bright future as the freshman entered the game off the bench and scored the first time she had possession of the ball on a prime scoring attempt following a penalty by the Eagles.
However, the Eagles came out firing with a wave of offense and three quick goals to open the second half and even the game all up once again.
The Sharks quieted the Eagles’ run thanks to a goal by Aubrey Schmidt, but the third quarter proved to be a decisive factor in the game as the Eagles outscored the Sharks 7-2 in and carried a 12-10 advantage into the fourth quarter.
It was a crazy third quarter in many ways, and it was evident that the Eagles’ confidence continued to grow with each goal.
Time and time again during the final frame the Sharks proved why they were deserving of the top seed in region 1 in class 1A and just like the Eagles had during the third quarter, Schmidt fired in another shot following a pair of Hannah Toole goals that tied the game at 13 with 4:16 left to play.
Schmidt’s game-tying goal sent a reverberation about the home crowd as the tension at the Shark Tank had been building for some time and had reached its max.
The tie did not last long though, as the Eagles quickly answered with a score of their own to recapture the lead 14-13 and although the Sharks put the pressure on defensively during the final couple of minutes, the Eagles maintained possession and eventually ran out the clock securing a spot in the final four.
