Girls Soccer

Holiday Invitational, hosted by Durant, Tampa Prep, and Black Watch.

TAMPA - When it came down to it, the only team that could score on Manatee was itself.

The Hurricanes, ranked No. 2 in Class 6A, dominated the Holiday Invitational and won the championship 3-1 over Lake Gibson on Tuesday. However, Manatee’s 18-game shutout streak came to an end when it kicked in an own goal with four minutes to play against the Braves.

“”We still have a ways to go. We’re not consistent enough,’’ Manatee coach Paul Palmateer said. “”But our defense has been great. We won a lot of balls and controlled the midfield.’’

Gaither (11-2-2) earned third place with a 3-0 win over Stuart Martin County.

After Lake Gibson and Martin County went to penalty kicks in Tuesday morning’s semifinal, neither team had much left for the afternoon finals. In the other semifinal, a controversial goal helped propel Manatee to a 3-0 win over Gaither.

Just before halftime, Jenna Herold sent in a corner kick that bounced off several players before Cowboy goalie Michelle Kmiotek pounced on it. However, the linesman signaled that it had already crossed the goal line, and it was ruled a goal.

“”It was unfortunate. The timing couldn’t have been worse for us,’’ Gaither coach Dianne Sumner said. “”We were right where we wanted to be-scoreless heading into the half-and then that happened. It really took a lot out of us.’’

The Hurricanes struck immediately to open the second half when Niki Schier headed in another corner from Herold. Then, Katie O’Neal finished on a breakaway to seal the game with 15 minutes left.

In the consolation final, the Cowboys regrouped to outlast the fatigued Tigers. Michaelene Cadiz scored twice in the second half, and Jessica Robinson closed the door with a minute left to play.

“”A top three finish is right up there with what I expected,’’ Sumner said. “”Our team showed that if they really want it, they’ll find a way of getting it.’’

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