Sharks’ Parrinello wins MVP honors at Senior Showcase

By Mario Sarmento
SPORTS EDITOR

Spanish River High senior goalkeeper Ashley Parrinello didn’t figure to be the Most Valuable Player in the Palm Beach County Senior Showcase, but after her performance Saturday, she was the only choice for the honor.

“I didn’t think I’d get MVP because I’m just the goalie, it’s usually a forward or something,” she said. “It feels good, the last high school thing.”

Parrinello made 10 saves to preserve a 1-1 tie against the North. Only a goal by Wellington forward Lindsey Wilkinson with 30 seconds to play prevented Parrinello from getting the shutout.

Early in the first half, Parrinello stoned Wilkinson on a breakaway, foreshadowing the great performance to follow. Her best save came midway through the second half, when Wilkinson’s corner kick found the head of Cardinal Newman forward Melissa Ortiz. Parrinello dove to her left to get a hand on the ball to make the best save of the match.

The South wasn’t as impressive offensively, tallying five shots and scoring on their only good chance in the 38th minute, when Palm Beach Central’s Kellii-Ann Scharscmidt scored on a half-turn volley from 25 yards out to make it 1-0.

“I tried to keep my focus as much as possible, which is what I’m trained to do,” Parrinello said. She hopes to play at FAU next year.

The boys match was a wild affair that wasn’t decided until Jupiter’s Sal LoDuca scored with 2:30 left to give the North a come-from-behind 3-2 win over the South.

Spanish River forward Josh Breto, who will play at Ohio State in the fall, scored the first goal of the match and had several other chances for the South.

Breto scored on a lead pass by Park Vista’s Andy Simcox in the 25th minute.

“Beautiful ball, he played it through, and I was able to chip it over,” Breto said.

The South took a 2-0 lead when Simcox set up John I. Leonard’s Justin Noe for a blast from 10 yards out in the 55th minute.

It appeared the South was headed for the easy win, but the North, which had a number of scoring chances throughout the match, finally began to capitalize.

In the 61st minute, Dwyer’s Trevor Monroe crossed the ball to Wellington forward and Senior Showcase MVP Alvaro Romo for a goal.

In the 80th minute, King’s Academy’s Henry Cabrera made a steal in the South defensive end and scored from the penalty box area to tie the match.

Before Romo found LoDuca for the winning goal, Breto almost put the South on top when he headed an Eddie Otaegui cross off the post, then followed with a shot that went over the net.

“It’s always fun to play in an all-star game, it’s an honor to be here, but it really sucks when it doesn’t go your way,” Breto said. “A loss is a loss.”

Baseball

Pine Crest defeated Saint Andrew’s 17-3. The Scots fell to 2-2.

Girls lacrosse

Winter Springs defeated Saint Andrew’s 14-5. Sydney Kaplan had 18 saves and Megan Vanderslice had two goals, but the Scots (5-3) fell to the Bears.

The Scots defeated Sebastian River 11-6. Ali Wolff had seven goals and Megan Vanderslice had two goals as the Scots defeated the Sharks.

Girls water polo

Miami-Ransom Everglades edged Saint Andrew’s 8-6. Ali Armour and Kate Brolley each scored two goals, but the Scots (6-1) fell to the Raiders.

In the boys match, the Scots (5-1) fell to the Raiders 19-9.

Friday

Softball

Christina Robbs tripled to give Palm Beach Central a 3-1 upset win over West Boca Raton.
Leslie Slota allowed three runs – one earned – on six hits for the Bulls (5-2).

Baseball

Atlantic High pitcher Mark Leal pitched a complete game with six strikeouts in the Eagles’ 10-1 rout of district rival Santaluces.