Hot 'Streak' Continues

WAUCHULA - The roster is certainly the same, but after watching the Sebring boys soccer team scrap its way to a 3-1 victory over Hardee on Thursday night, one gets the feeling that this is a different team altogether.

Senior Daniel Grimaldo scored two second-half goals and senior Nicholas Peters added another to help the Blue Streaks extend their unbeaten streak to eight games since losing to the Wildcats on Nov. 27.

Grimaldo, who capped the scoring with a show-stopping header into the net in the 59th minute for his second multiple-goal game of the season, said the Streaks are playing at a different level than they were when they opened the season with four straight home losses.

"We were rusty last time we played them," Grimaldo said. "That wasn't our team then. Tonight, we showed up and played hard."

Sebring coach Paul Brown, who joked his team "didn't come out of the locker room" during the Streaks' 2-0 loss to Hardee earlier this season, said his team responded well to the Wildcats' challenge this time around.

"We fought for every ball," Brown said. "They battled all night -- I'm really pleased."

The Streaks got on the board first when Peters broke down the right side and re-directed a pass from Gilberto Santos into the net for a 1-0 lead in the 17th minute. The goal came after several point-blank shots on goal by Sebring, including three free kicks inside of 30 yards. Peters said he didn't think his shot had a chance of going in, but when he saw it hit the net, he knew the Streaks would have a chance at pulling out the victory.

"I got it at the last minute," he said. "We played with a lot more intensity tonight, and that's something we hadn't been doing before."

Spurred on by senior defender Adam Juarez's fiery halftime speech, the Wildcats came out strong in the second half, challenging Sebring keeper Ryan Cochran with a flurry of shots in the opening minutes.

They finally hit paydirt in the 45th minute, when sophomore Marco Cavillo controlled a bounding high ball in the box and blasted it into the center of net to tie the match at one.

Hardee coach Ron Kline said his team may have broken through at times, but Sebring played like they had something to prove all night.

"They were fast," Kline said. "I can't take anything away from them. They played together all night."

Sebring's Pedro Gori said Hardee's lone goal came because of miscommunication on the Streak's end, and that once the game was tied, his team was on a mission to pull ahead.

"We played tight on their forwards and just kept attacking," Gori said. "We really wanted a win, and that's what you have to do."

Sebring took the lead in the 57th minute when Grimaldo dribbled past two defenders and into the box for a blast into the Hardee net.

"The ball was at my feet, and all I could think of was 'corner,' " he said. "It somehow slipped through his hands, and it just felt great."

The Streaks host DeSoto on Tuesday at Firemen's Field. Kick-off is set for 7:30 p.m.