Boca tips P.B. Central

from Sun Sentinel

Boca RatonBoca Raton - Sophomore Linzi Martin scored a goal just before the end of the first half and then delivered the game-winning penalty kick to lift Boca Raton to a 2-1 victory Thursday night against visiting Palm Beach Central in the first round of the girls' Class 6A regional soccer playoffs.

The win avenged a loss to Central in last year's regional playoffs and earns the Bobcats (22-4-1) a home matchup Tuesday night against defending Class 6A state champion Wellington.

Martin scored Boca Raton's only goal in regulation and two overtime periods when she scored on an assist from sophomore Allie Holly with less than three minutes remaining in the first half to give the Bobcats a 1-0 lead at halftime.

Palm Beach Central (20-7-1) tied the game 10 minutes into the second half when Natalia Hernandez dribbled past Boca defenders and nailed a shot into the right side of the net.

After two scoreless 10-minute overtime periods, the game was decided on penalty kicks. Boca made three of its first four penalty kicks, while Central made its first two but misfired on its third and fourth kicks to set the stage for Martin. She hit a low shot that just avoided the outstretched arms of Central goalkeeper Kim Mockel and found the back of the net to clinch the victory.

"I practice PKs all the time," Martin said. "It's all mental. You have to believe that you're going to score. It wasn't my best one, but it was good enough. It got the job done."

Central just missed taking a 1-0 lead midway through the first half when Megan O'Donnell's shot from about 25 yards out hit the crossbar. The Broncos narrowly missed another goal late in regulation when a shot by Francesca Gianoli was just wide right of the net.

Tuesday's regional semifinal matchup will be a rematch of a game that Boca won 4-0 about a month ago.

"But that's not the same team we'll see Tuesday night, I'm sure," Boca Raton coach Rachael Grimes said of Wellington.