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COMPLETE STORY: Highlanders Knock Out Dragons

LP Coach Says Goodbye To Sideline

Chris Hoffman/Highlands Today

Lake Highland Prep shut out the Green Dragons 5-0 in the Class 3A regional quarterfinals at CNL Stadium in Orlando on Thursday.

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By Christopher  Hoffman | Highlands Today

Published: January 25, 2008

ORLANDO — The lights dimmed on Liz Sottile's reign as the Lake Placid girls soccer team on a misty Thursday night, as a highly talented squad from Lake Highland Prep shut out the Green Dragons 5-0 in the Class 3A regional quarterfinals at CNL Stadium.

The fifth-year head coach was all smiles after the game, congratulating her girls on a job well done, sending her out with some hardware of her own.

"It would have been nice to get the win, but it's been a great ride," Sottile said. "I've loved my five years at Lake Placid, and to make regionals in my final year and win a trophy was a great way to go out."

Many other Green Dragons played their final games against Lake Highland Prep. Senior goalie Sydney Stewart showed a bit of emotion as her tenure in net for Lake Placid came to an end.

"This is the happiest I've been playing soccer," Stewart said. "That is the best game I've played as goalie. Lake Placid hasn't made it to regionals in forever and we finally did it my senior year."

Stewart was a four-year starter in goal for the Green Dragons and was put to the test against an extremely skilled Highlander team, which has numerous Division-I signees suited up.

Shots were coming in from all angles, and Lake Highland Prep used precise passing and superior ball control, wasting no energy with every pass having a purpose.

Midfielder Valorie O'Brien was the catalyst for the Highlander offense, weaving through the Green Dragon defense with ease in the first half, putting her first shot in the top-right corner of the net for the first goal 12 minutes into the game.

Stewart showed poise and composure as she batted shot after shot away in the hopes of keeping the score close for the Green Dragons, but an odd-man rush allowed O'Brien to hit a strong crossing shot that set up teammate Meredith Gurnee for a one-timer and a 2-0 lead at the midway point of the first half.

"We just came out very sloppy in that first half," Sottile said. "I don't think we were intimidated. We just waited for the ball and you can't do that against a team like Lake Highland Prep. They're always moving to the ball and we were a step behind them."

O'Brien was tackled in the box and was awarded a penalty kick, which she put past Stewart before the half for a 3-0 advantage.

Stewart said she hadn't seen a barrage of shots all season — at least not of the Highlander's caliber.
"Shots were coming from everywhere," the LP senior said. "I just prayed I could stop some shots, and I was hoping I'd make the save on the penalty kick."

The Green Dragons perked up their play in the second half. They were more aggressive on defense, forcing the ball away from O'Brien, who still had countless scoring chances due to her superb ball-handling skills.

Erica Resendiz had the best scoring opportunities for the Green Dragons, who were pressed by the Highlander's pressure defense, when her direct kick bent toward the goal but was corralled by freshman goalie Shannon Taylor.

Moments later, Resendiz belted a shot from the right wing that had a chance for the score, but it was cleared by the Highlander defense to end the threat.

O'Brien put the game away by assisting on Ellery Gainza's goal in front of the net off a direct kick and sent a second penalty kick in for the score for the margin of victory.

The better team moved on at the end of the day, but the happier team was the girls in green, who gave Lake Highland Prep a tougher-than-expected test in the opening round against a team that's looking for its fourth straight trip to the state title game.

"I think they thought they'd just walk over us," Stewart said. "We gave it all we had tonight and they can't take that away from us.

"I think Lake Placid earned a little respect tonight."

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