With a large ice pack wrapped around his knee and a smile plastered on his face, Matanzas senior midfielder Zach Furey recounted his winning goal against Flagler Palm Coast.
“I saw FPC turned around, not fully paying attention,” Furey said. “I took the ball, ran down the field and scored, because I love catching my fast breaks.”
Furey scored with 4:49 left and the Pirates held the Bulldogs scoreless the rest of the way to win 8-7 in a District 3-2A quarterfinal game on Friday, April 12, at the Bulldogs’ stadium.
“I knew I had the ball in my stick, and the ref gave me a green light and I just went,” Furey said.
Matanzas, the seventh seed, won its first district tournament game in three years — the first since coach Adam Frys took over the program prior to the 2022 season.
Furey’s game-winner was disputed. The referees conferred before ruling the ball had crossed the goal line. The game was physical between the two rivals with numerous penalties called throughout. Matanzas scored four of its goals with an extra man.
“We were able to finish our opportunities, which has been the key for us,” Frys said. “We don't score a lot six on six, but when we get that extra man, our unit is pretty deadly. Whoever makes less mistakes normally wins. So we were able to just make a few less mistakes than they did today.”
Furey found himself on the ground a lot, including immediately after the game when he was pushed and he hurt his knee.
“I tried to stop my fall, and then I bent my knee inward,” he said. “ I'll definitely be OK. It feels great, beating FPC in a playoff game, sending them home.”
“It was unfortunate that that happened at the end,” FPC first-year coach Matt Massey said. “Sometimes the tempers get flaring in a rivalry like this. When it happens, we have to address it and nip it in the bud.”
The Pirates’ season ended three days later with a 20-3 loss at third-seeded Ocala Forest in a district semifinal.
Both coaches viewed their seasons a success. The Pirates finished with a 7-9 record, their most wins since 2019. Frys took over a program that was in danger of folding three years ago, but they’ve steadily improved. In the district win, players representing all four grade levels contributed.
“Our juniors dominated the game. We had freshmen on the field at the end of the game, so it's all of these grade levels,” Frys said. “These juniors have been with me since I started — three years of hard work. We worked during the summer, we worked during the fall, we worked during the winter and we worked for today.”
FPC, the district’s second seed, ended its season with a 9-3 record. Massey was hired just six weeks before the season and the Bulldogs had a late start with a squad that had lost 14 seniors from its 2023 team.
I’d like to think that our season was a success. I don't think one game defines our season. I think the team and players coming together and bonding, I think that more defines us.”
— MATT MASSEY, FPC coach
“I’d like to think that our season was a success,” Massey said. “I don't think one game defines our season. I think the team and players coming together and bonding, I think that more defines us.”
The game was close throughout with Matanzas taking a 4-3 lead at the half, and then FPC scoring three quick goals in the first minute and a half of the third quarter to take a 6-4 lead.
“Right away, they were just scoring and scoring and we just kept our composure and came right back,” Furey said.
The game went back and forth. Matanzas answered with three straight goals with Vincent Ferrugiaro giving the Pirates a 7-6 lead late in the third quarter. FPC’s Grant Winkler tied the score at 7-7 with 8:25 left in the game.
“It was a great game. It was a heavyweight fight,” Massey, said. “They just edged us out there towards the end.”
Ferrugiaro scored three goals for Matanzas. Brandon Page and Jonathan Santiago scored two goals apiece.
Furey had four assists in addition to the winning goal.
“Being the quarterback, being the leader, being everything for our team — that's what he did today,” Frys said of the senior.
Winkler scored three goals for FPC, while seniors Trenton Ellis and Brandon Calidonio each scored one goal. Bulldogs’ leading scorer Jordan Gales scored two goals to end his senior season with 45 goals and 17 assists. He finished his FPC career with 92 goals.
Gales scored both of his goals early in the second half. The rest of the game, Pirates kept him wrapped up.
“That was the focus of our game plan this week, make someone else beat us,” Frys said. “He’s a great player. We wanted to make it as hard as possible for him to get the ball and once he got the ball, make it as hard as possible for him to get to the goal.”
Massey said he was proud of the way his team fought.
“Matanzas has a great coach and a great program,” Massey said. “Unfortunately, this is not the way we saw our season playing out. But hats off to them and hats off to Coach Frys for doing a good job.”
