Another day, another hero, another clean sheet … another playoff win for Niceville girls soccer.
Delaney Diehl was the latest Niceville player to net a postseason game-winner, the sophomore scoring in the 20th minute on a feed from Jezlyn Nelson to help lift the Eagles to a 2-0 shutout win over visiting Nease in a Region 1-6A semifinal at Twin Oaks Soccer Complex.
“Delaney has a gift,” Niceville coach Kelly Fernandez said. “Last she when she was hurt she’d break down the games. She has a vision of the game that is a game-changer, the way she sees what should happen next. She’s not your biggest player, she’s not your strongest player, she doesn’t hit the ball the hardest, but she can thread a needle.”
Diehl called the win a “team effort,” crediting Nelson with the run that freed her up to net the right-footer.
“We have so much depth. If one of us comes off the field, I don’t think anything changes when the next comes on,” Diehl said. “The press, the speed of play, the possession stays the same. Jezlyn just made sure the ball found me tonight.”
Defensively, after the early goal, Niceville never put itself in a vulnerable position by trying to counter Nease’s attacks. Instead, the Eagles kept their shape and played with their hips open, possessed sideline to sideline and kept Nease’s press always a step behind by playing keep away.
“They lock in,” Diehl said of her defense. “They’re really good, and they have our complete trust.”
The result was a 14th clean sheet, stretching Niceville’s margin of victory to 95-7. But what’s more impressive? The five goals a night, or the fact that only four teams all year have scored on the Eagles?
Fernandez would tell you both directly reflect each other while underscoring Niceville’s depth. Scoring early and getting a new goal scorer each night takes certainly takes the pressure off any one individual.
“I’ve been to a lot of coach’s courses and the hardest thing in soccer is figuring out how to score,” Fernandez said. “When you have so many on your team scoring, something is working right in practice. Because you’re obviously getting through to your players, and with us it seems likes it’s someone different every game.”
Riley McInness added an insurance goal in the 49th minute with a run up the right side of the box. Nease, even with ample game film on the Eagles, had no answer.
Of course a new, tougher challenge awaits the Eagles in the region championship. That’d be Bartram Trail, which will try to replicate last year’s success when the Bears beat Niceville 2-0 for the region title en route to a 6A state championship. Fortunately for the Eagles this time around, Niceville is the top seed in the region and on Tuesday will host the Bears, who beat Pace 1-0 in the other Region 1-6A semifinal Wednesday night.
“I think their coach is really good with film,” Fernandez said. “I think they can score, I think they’re going to press us, I think that we played a lot of soccer in Jacksonville and a lot of them are friends, so there’s a lot of film. Tonight’s game was a game of film; Nease watched what we do well and pressed it. We just recovered well from it.”
Scouting or not, Diehl and her teammates feel like this is a game Niceville can control.
“Playing (at Twin Oaks) is definitely an advantage,” Diehl said. “We all feel like a family here and the crowd just adds another element.
“Last year they took us out, so redemption is on our minds.”
This article originally appeared on Northwest Florida Daily News: Delaney Diehl’s early goal, defense lifts Niceville into 6A Elite 8
Reporting by Seth Stringer, Northwest Florida Daily News / Northwest Florida Daily News
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
