Ransom Everglades, Cypress Bay, St. Brendan, Hillel boys soccer reach state semifinals
Ransom Everglades’ boys’ soccer team has spent the past six years trying to get another shot at a state championship.
The Raiders are just two wins away.
After 74 minutes of scoreless play, Ransom Everglades senior midfielder Dillan Kaye headed home a corner kick by Nicky Goldberg which proved to be the difference in a 1-0 victory for the Raiders over LaSalle on Wednesday night in the Region 4-3A final at Ransom.
The Raiders (17-1-3) advanced to their first state semifinal since they won their lone state title in 2016 and will host Jacksonville Bolles on Saturday night at 7 p.m.
Ransom has won 14 consecutive matches and defeated LaSalle (13-2-3) for the second time this season.
Region 4-7A final: By now, the Cypress Bay boys soccer team has gotten used to shutting out its opponent.
Wednesday night was more of the same.
Cypress Bay, ranked No. 2 in the state in Class 7A, No. 7 in the state regardless of classification and No. 11 in the nation by Max Preps, turned the trick against Dr. Krop with a 2-0 shutout at Cypress Bay High School.
It marked the team’s 12th shutout in the last 13 games. Dating back to Dec. 13, Cypress Bay has given up just one goal, that against Western a few weeks ago in a 3-1 district semifinal final win.
The win advances Cypress to the 7A state semifinal where the Lightning (20-1) will enter as the No. 1 seed and will host No. 4 Wellington Palm Beach Central on Saturday at 7 p.m.
“Another great effort by our defense once again and we’re really excited to be back in the final four,” Cypress Bay head coach Colin Ilgner said. “Hopefully we’ve got two more wins in us.”
Cypress Bay got all the scoring it would need in the game’s 28th minute when, following a flurry of action in front of the net, Giancarlo Dostilio was fouled inside the penalty box and converted the penalty kick.
The Lightning nursed the one goal lead well into the second half before getting an insurance goal just after the second half water break when Mateo Sarmiento scored off an assist from Dostilio.
Krop, which was making only its second-ever appearance in a regional final, finished 12-4.
-Bill Daley
▪ Region 4-4A final — St. Brendan 1, Cardinal Gibbons 0: The Sabres (15-1-3) posted their third consecutive shutout of the playoffs and got all the offense they needed on a 72nd-minute goal from junior Alex Rodriguez to advance to their first-ever state final four. St. Brendan will host DeSoto County (17-1) in the state semifinal at 7 p.m. Saturday.
▪ Region 4-2A final — Scheck Hillel 3, Archbishop Carroll 0: Hillel (11-2-2) advances to the state semifinal for the first time since 2016, when it won the Class 1A state title. The Lions have shut out each of their last five opponents. They travel to face Fort Myers Canterbury on Saturday for a spot in the state championship.