- May 3, 2024
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Spruce Creek goalie Elizabeth Greenberg kicks the ball from the box. Photo by Ray Boone
Hawks goalie Elizabeth Greenberg saves a shot against the Sandcrabs. Photo by Ray Boone
Spruce Creek's Ally Runge steals the ball from a Seabreeze player. Photo by Ray Boone
The Hawks' Audrey Springer dribbles the ball in the first half against the Sandcrabs. Photo by Ray Boone
Spruce Creek's Jordan Di Verniero and Seabreeze's Alauna Neely walk across the field. Photo by Ray Boone
The Hawks' Jordan Di Verniero heads the ball over a Sandcrabs defender. Photo by Ray Boone
Spruce Creek's leading goal scorer, Jordan Di Verniero, dribbles the ball past a pair of Sandcrabs defenders. Photo by Ray Boone
Spruce Creek's Jordan Di Verniero tries to dribble the ball against Seabreeze's Alauna Neely. Photo by Ray Boone
The Hawks' Audrey Springer kicks the ball away from a Sandcrabs player. Photo by Ray Boone
Over the last week, if you were to have gazed across the field toward Spruce Creek's bench, you would have noticed a few things.
You would see starters Caitlyn Chartier and Mia Van Winter pacing along the bench with crutches in tow — they’re both suffering from leg fractures. Peek once more, and you’d have also noticed four-year starting goalie and team captain Gabrielle McDaniel hobbling along the sideline shouting instructions to her replacements. McDaniel suffered an ACL tear in a game a week ago and is done for the season.
“We have more girls on crutches and splints and braces than I’ve ever seen,” Spruce Creek coach Edson Abadia said.
The Hawks were so desperate at goal keeper that they promoted junior varsity freshmen Elizabeth Greenberg to McDaniel’s spot.
Greenberg’s backups?
Hawks volleyball players Mary Roth and Ally Goldman, neither of whom had played soccer prior to Spruce Creek’s game against rival Seabreeze on the night of Tuesday, Dec. 19.
And against a Sandcrabs team that was previously 12-2 on the season and undefeated in district play, it worked.
Thanks to the hot scoring of the Hawks’ Jordan Di Verniero, coupled with timely saves from Greenberg, Spruce Creek (12-0-1) defeated the Sandcrabs 3-0 on Tuesday night at the Ormond Beach Sports Complex.
Multiple times throughout the game, both teams had great opportunities to score but would barely miss out. Even when the Hawks went up 2-0 following a penalty kick goal by Di Verniero at the 18:46 mark in the second half, the Sandcrabs would fight back, itching their way closer to getting back in the game.
But when the Sandcrabs would get close to rallying, Greenberg was always there to stop them.
“I was really nervous, but I felt like I had a good practice this week,” she said. “And my teammates were pushing me hard. They really helped me this game.”
One of those teammates was McDaniel, who Abadia calls “a coach on the field.” Now that McDaniel's not playing, she's become a coach on the sideline.
“I told Liz this game was going to be a challenge, and she rose up to that,” said McDaniel, who’s having knee surgery on Wednesday, Dec. 20. “Her communication improved throughout the game. Her confidence improved throughout the game. And I’m really excited to see what this season has in store for her. And I’m going to help all the goalies as much as I can this season because I’m not able to be on the field. But I can help by supporting my girls in any way that I can.”
But despite a win against a quality opponent — even with the mounting injuries and inexperience at certain positions — Abadia said he felt like there were moments were he wanted to pull his hair out.
“I just felt that we could have done a little better,” he said. “As I always tell the players, we don’t make excuses. We get results.”
