Girls Soccer Roundup: Ponte Vedra, Bolles and St. Johns CD advance to state finals
The First Coast area will be well-represented in next week's girls soccer state finals in Tampa.
Three area teams - St. Johns Country Day, Bolles and Ponte Vedra - earned championship berths in their respective classifications with state semifinal victories on Friday.
St. Johns will face Palmetto Bay Palmer Trinity in the Class 1A championship at 5 p.m. Friday at the University of South Florida.
Bolles will take on Delray Beach American Heritage at 7:30 p.m. Friday in the Class 2A final.
Ponte Vedra will face Plantation American Heritage at 11 a.m. Saturday in the Class 3A championship.
St. Johns Country Day rolled to a 7-2 state semifinal victory over visiting Lakeland Christian (21-5-2) behind a four-goal effort from senior standout Carson Pickett.
Pickett, an FSU signee, pushed her season total to 51 goals and 33 assists on Friday.
She connected on a jaw-dropping, 40-yard free kick and another from 20 yards, rocketed one shot from the wing into the back side of the net and buried another from point blank range.
Mallory Bane also turned in an impressive score for the Spartans (22-2-2) when she launched a cross from the sideline that ricocheted in off the far post.
Ellen Crist and Megan Rogers also scored for St. Johns.
Naomi O'Leary scored two of her three goals in the 8th and 9th minutes to lead Bolles to a 6-0 state semifinal victory over visiting Ocala Trinity Catholic (23-1-1).
Lily Arnold assisted on two of O'Leary's goals and added one of her own as Bolles (18-8-3) handed the Celtics their first loss of the season.
Lindsay Turnbach and Maddie Kulik each scored a goal for the Bulldogs, who earn their first title game berth since 2009.
Ponte Vedra capitalized on its corner kick opportunities, scoring three goals to roll to a 3-1 state semifinal victory over visiting Eustis (19-6-2).
Erica Burt, Brooke Sharp and McKenzie Ryan scored for the Sharks (21-4-3), who return to the state title game for the first time since winning the Class 4A title in 2009, the program's first season.
Fleming Island battled hard with nationally ranked Lakeland George Jenkins (26-0), holding them to a scoreless tie at halftime.'
Photo Gallery: Fleming Island vs. George Jenkins
But the Golden Eagles (19-2-1) couldn't push past George Jenkins' stifling defense, and they fell 1-0 in to the visiting Eagles.
Fleming Island keeper Katie Nimitz had 10 saves.