Pirates advance to semis

EAST MANATEE — Having telepathic connections on the soccer pitch makes any team that much better.

Just ask the St. Pete Dixie Hollins boys soccer team.

Host Braden River provided the inch-perfect passes and clean finishing as the Pirates secured a semifinal spot in the Class 4A-District 10 tournament with a 4-0 victory over the Rebels on Tuesday.

Braden River controlled the middle of the park, executed counter-attacking soccer and capitalized on well-timed passes in the attacking third.

“We got into our tactics of what we wanted to do,” Pirates’ first-year coach Janjay Gehndyu said. “We had solid defense, and our midfielders played great. We had a great rotation going in-and-out of the game, so that really helped us to move the ball up front the way we wanted to.”

Seniors’ Matthew Wagner and Mitchell Margolis were responsible for the first two goals.

After Dixie Hollins threw a ball into the Pirates’ box, Braden River cleared and the outlet pass found Wagner’s feet.

He shielded his defender, turned and fired off a long pass through the Rebels’ back-line that Margolis jockeyed position for.

Margolis then got loose on a shoulder-to-shoulder bump, before slotting home the 26th minute goal with the outside of his right boot.

“We’ve been playing together forever,” Wagner said. “I know what he’s going to do ... I know he’s going to make the run.”

Wagner and Margolis hooked up for the Pirates’ second goal.

This time the roles were reversed.

After Wagner’s point-blank shot ricocheted off Rebels’ keeper Michael Barker toward Dixie Hollins’ defense — Margolis, who was lurking behind, dispossessed the ball and fired a cross to Wagner.

The forward didn’t miss his second chance, and made it 2-0 with a left-footed blast in the 69th minute.

Two more goals followed in a short span as the Rebels lacked an attacking presence with junior forward Nika Chkhlvadze injuring his shin with about 30 minutes left.

The Pirates utilized the open space voided by the Rebels’ striker and kept pressuring Dixie Hollins with constant attacking.

“The team speed was a little bit better than our overall team speed,” Rebels’ coach Ron Henkel said.

Braden River launched 27 shots, with 12 finding the woodwork that forced Barker into eight saves.

Meanwhile, Dixie Hollins only had three shots on goal, with Pirates’ keeper Andrew Quijano saving each one — including a diving snatch midway through the first half.

The Pirates travel to No. 1-seeded Palmetto at 7 p.m. today for a chance to play for a district title.