Parkland-Douglas 2 Boca Raton 0

from Palm Beach Post

Friday, February 06, 2009

One of the best seasons in Boca Raton's recent history ended with Friday's 2-0 loss at Parkland-Douglas in a regional championship matchup.

Douglas junior Kelsey Allphin put her team ahead with a goal five minutes into the match, which was all the Eagles (20-3-3) needed. Allphin chipped in the other goal with 20 minutes remaining.

"They did a good job shutting down our offense," Boca Raton coach Rachel Grimes said. "The girls played hard, but I don't know if we played our best game of the year."

Boca Raton (23-5-1) entered the playoffs ranked No. 1 in the area, a spot the Bobcats occupied for most of the season.

The Bobcats finished first in District 10 in the regular season and swept through the district tournament with little resistance, then advanced past the first round of the post-season - something they failed to do each of the previous two years.

They appeared ready to make a run at the Class 6A state title after knocking off last season's champion, Wellington 3-1 on Tuesday.

Even with the loss, it was an impressive season for a Bobcat team with only one senior on the roster. Boca Raton will return its entire starting lineup next year, including standout forward Alex Major, one of the best scorers in the area.

"Our season was great and we had some great wins," Grimes said. "Hopefully we can use this game as a learning experience."