LAKEWOOD RANCH
One thing immediately came to Hajar Benjoud’s mind when she saw the ball hit the back of the net.
“Relief,” the Lakewood Ranch midfielder said. “Just relief.”
Stuck in a scoreless deadlock for 93 minutes and 46 seconds, Benjoud’s goal in the second overtime period was the only one of the match, as the Mustangs slipped past Manatee, 1-0, in the Class 5A-District 8 final on a chilly Wednesday night at Lakewood Ranch High.
Both teams move on to Tuesday’s regional quarterfinals with Lakewood Ranch (13-3) at home and the Hurricanes (10-7-1) on the road.
Benjoud’s goal eased a frustrating evening for the Mustangs, who had beaten Manatee 3-1 and 3-0 during a 12-day stretch in the regular season.
“Oh yeah. The whole game was frustration,” the senior said.
One of the reasons for the the Mustangs’ woes was the in-your-face defense by Manatee.
“Some of our players were man-marked a little bit more,” first-year Lakewood Ranch coach Delaney Riggins said. “They came at us a lot harder than the last couple of games. The intensity was a lot higher. We knew that was going to happen. We expected it. Their defense was stronger than we expected them to be. It was harder for us to break through. They put up a very good fight.”
The Hurricanes came out strong on the offensive end early, too, nearly matching Lakewood Ranch’s total of six shots on goal with five of their own.
“There was a large portion of the game, especially in the first half, where we controlled the game,” Manatee coach George Ameres said. “We had our chances, not as many as Lakewood Ranch, obviously, but we did have some, quality looks early and didn’t capitalize. Maybe the game gradually got away from us a little bit.”
After turning away six shots in the first half, Hurricanes goalie Tori Blanton made 11 saves in the second. With the help of Brooke Capparelli and Kalie Welling, Manatee kept the Mustangs off the scoreboard throughout regulation time.
“They shut us down really well,” Benjoud said. “They came out a lot stronger than we anticipated, but we fought through.”
In overtime, Benjoud had a couple of opportunities before finally cracking through.
“I had two that I rushed,” she said. “It’s those moments where I need to slow down and really think.”
From straight on in the 95th minute, Benjoud hit a shot that snuck just inside the right post, causing jubilation on the home team sideline.
“She’s our rock,” Riggins said of her captain and team leader. “We can put her anywhere on the field and she’s going to give us 100 percent. Tonight she showed that. She can always come through.”
It was the Mustangs’ first district title since 2017. Lakewood Ranch finished as district runners-up a year ago.
“I’m so proud of them,” Riggins said. “I don’t think anyone is more deserving than this team to win a district championship. I’m glad we finally came through and did it.
“It’s an awesome feeling.”
A former Mustangs’ player Riggins took over for long-time coach Guy Virgilio, who moved to Saint Stephen’s.
The transition was a smooth one.
“It proves the girls have worked really hard,” Riggins said. “The girls have gelled together as a team. The get along so well and that has helped on the field with their chemistry. That has helped as well. It has been a very easy coming in as a first year coach.”
The Mustangs have been knocked out of the regional tournament in each of the past three seasons.
“It’s just the beginning, just the beginning,” Benjoud said.
Ameres could not have been more pleased with his team’s effort.
“They all need to be congratulated,” the veteran coach said. “They all played their butts off. I’m very proud of all of them. It was a total team effort. Unfortunately, that one shot at the end snuck past Tori and that’s the game. That’s the way it goes sometimes.”
The Mustangs will be home Tuesday with possibly a fourth game against Manatee looming in the regional semifinals.
“That’s what I told them,” Ameres said. “We could see them a fourth time.”
