Bartram girls take second SJRAC crown

Scalf, Mayo lead Bears to unbeaten regular season

From staugustine.com

Sam Scalf is inching toward a scoring milestone, but she's not going alone.

The Bartram Trail girls soccer player had her third multi-goal game of the week and helped the Bears win their second straight St. Johns River Athletic Conference championship Friday night, routing Orange Park, 7-0.

Chelsea Mayo also had a multi-goal game for the Bears, who capped a blistering unbeaten regular season.

Scalf is headed on a path for one of the most prolific goal-scoring seasons in county history.

Her two goals against Orange Park gave her 50 for the season, just five behind the record of 55, set by St. Augustine High School star Laura Ray in 2006.

But Scalf has had plenty of help scoring goals. Bartram outscored its three conference opponents -- Palatka, St. Augustine and Orange Park -- by a combined 26-0. Scalf scored nine of those goals, Alicia Jacobson had seven and Mayo added six.

"Two (conference titles) in a row, it's really exciting," Scalf said. "I am really happy right now. I am confident we can keep it going."

It was a different way to end the conference tournament for the Bears, who needed penalty kicks and a sterling game in net by Lauren Hamilton to beat Fleming Island last year. But this was an entirely different tournament for Bartram (20-0-3), which entered as the overwhelming favorite and validated its status.

The Bears will go into next week's District 3-5A tournament at Fleming Island as the top seed. But getting there with a perfect record was the kicker.

"That was one of their goals, this was very important," said Bartram coach Jen West, whose only conference soccer titles have come in back-to-back seasons. "It was something they worked for all season. It's very rewarding."

Bartram did all of its damage during an 11-minute window in the first half. Chipping away for 18 unsuccessful minutes -- the Bears missed six chances -- Bartram made things right in a hurry. Jacobson bumped in a third chance shot at the 22:05 mark and Bri Swift added a score on a rocket from about 15 yards out just two minutes, 10 seconds later. Scalf had the other with 11:34 to play in the half.

"That's how we've been this year," said Scalf, who also had three assists. "We score the first goal and we keep going."

Mayo scored five minutes apart in the second half and Kaitlin Sinardi sandwiched a goal in between those scores. Mayo had a hat trick in an 8-0 win over St. Augustine on Wednesday.

OP's best chances came when Tabitha Padgett had a chance to turn down the field. Unquestionably the Raiders' quickest player, Padgett had three good looks in the first half. But goalkeeper Hamilton had two stops, and defender Karen Snyder smothered another Padgett attempt. Hamilton also stuffed Padgett on a one-on-one maneuver midway through the second and added another solo stop with six minutes to play.

Hamilton, in particular, drew some high marks from West. It was in the same game a year ago that Hamilton, making a spot start in place of injured starter Molly Benson, shut down Fleming Island in a round of penalty kicks.

"Her confidence is so much better," West said of Hamilton. "(Fleming Island last season) gave her so much confidence."