HUDSON — Land O'Lakes made it five straight district titles on Friday night at Fivay, with a 3-1 victory over rival Sunlake.
The Gators have owned the rivalry in recent years, downing Sunlake 5-1 earlier in the season and 3-0 in last year's district playoffs, and then again in the district finals in 2014 and 2013. Yet, if Friday's result was any indication, the Seahawks are closing the gap and would like nothing more than a rematch in the region semifinals.
"We always have our minds set that we're going to get killed (physically) by them (Sunlake), I think that's why we came out a little timid tonight," Gators senior Savanna Ronk said. "I think we got better throughout the game, but they definitely played to the end and never gave up. Pretty impressive for them to do that."
Ronk, typically lining up at outside midfielder, started in the middle and was a big factor in organizing much of the early Land O'Lakes offense. Ten minutes in and the Gator girls started ramping up the pressure.
Deep threat and speedster Sydny Nasello had the Seahawks holding their breath as she ran down a couple of deep balls. Finally, with 10 minutes left in the first half, Nasello ran down a deep pass as Sunlake keeper Landon Carter charged out of the box after the ball. But Nasello beat her to it and outran one final defender to make it 1-0 into halftime.
Star forward and Arkansas committ Tori Cannata took the field in the second half and caused some early headaches for the Seahawks, winning a free kick that Lacy Nasello put on target. Despite giving up three goals, Sunlake's Carter had nine saves, some of them diving attempts.
Minutes later, the Seahawks nearly tied it as Abby Morken and Kaci Landry drove into the Gator box, collided with keeper Hannah Young and then with each other as the ball trickled across an empty net, right along the goal line.
With 14 minutes left, Sydny Nasello drove a corner kick into the 18 where it banged off a couple of bodies before Lacy Nasello put it away for a 2-0 lead.
Not long after Gators coach Vicky King moved Ronk back to outside mid, where Ronk would get her best chance for a score. Ronk and Brooke Hannigan got on a breakaway but Ronk held the ball as she sensed Hannigan would have been called offsides and drove the ball into Carter, both of them going to the ground on a collision.
Carter made a great save but Ronk popped back up and was there to clean up her own rebound to put the Gators up 3-0.
"I definitely saw her (Hannigan) coming and I knew she was off, so I took the opportunity," Ronk said. "After that first shot, I didn't think I could get back up that fast but I did."
The Seahawks refused to fold and got a last-second goal from Abby Morken to close the gap to 3-1.
"We felt more pressure being the second time we played them," King said. "That's probably more pressure than we've had in a while and we needed it."
King got all three of her players coming back from injury into the game. Cannata and Samantha Epifanio started and Maci Galan got some action late.
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Explore all your options"It's crucial we are all ready to play," King said.
Center back Haley Eckel was a wall for the Gators, not letting anything past her. King called her performance, "superb."