JACKSONVILLE - In a spring game between two Florida college soccer programs designed to stretch the legs out a bit after a long winter soccer season, the Embry Riddle Aeronautics University womens soccer team visited University of North Florida for a Sunday afternoon foray and it was a pseudo-homecoming for players from boths sides as Clay County soccer graced both rosters.

For Embry Riddle, sophomore Lauryn Mateo, a standout at St. Johns Country Day School (a Florida 2A Gatorade and Dairy Farmers 2A Player of Year winner in 2023 and runnerup for Dairy Farmer Miss Florida award even in state runnerup finish for St. Johns), came in with All Region first team honors from the fall season as well as All Sunshine State Conference second team honors for a second season. Mateo, one of the more prolific headball hitters for coach Mike Pickett at St. Johns, nearly nailed one of her specialties in the UNF challenge and almost scored an airborne tumbling goal in the first half.
On the All Region team joining Mateo were teammates Grace Foyer of England, tied with a team-leading eight goals with Mateo last fall with Olivia Gallo a third All Region team selection on the second team as a defender for ERAU. The Eagles had six shutouts for the season with a final record of 8-8-3 with a 1-0 loss to Saint Leo in the Sunshine State Conference Tournament followed by an NCAA Div II 4-3 opening round loss to Montevallo.
Also on the ERAU team was Bartram Trail standout McKenzie Carlson, a freshman.
For the UNF Osprey's womens team, former St. Johns Country School and Fleming Island High standouts Bella and Sophie Pontieri, sisters; Taylor Tamares, and St. Johns Country Day School's Avery Raimondo, were on the field and on the sidelines with Raimondo sitting with a minor injury. UNF finished at 9-4-7 after a 6-1-4 record at their home pitch at Hodges Stadium.
Bella Pontieri, a sophomore with six goals on the year (four as gamewinners), led the Osprey attack with an early first half left footed goal smashed in from just inside the 18 yard mark while sister Sophie entered the game in the second half and added some energy to her sister's attacks up top. Sophie Pontieri, who had two state champion rings from St. Johns Country School before transferring to Fleming Island High School, played last summer on the inaugural season of the Jax Armada Womens Professional Soccer League team. Bella Pontieri earned a state champion ring for St. Johns in 2021.
Tamares was positioned in the center of the field, but made one spectacular play in connection with UNF goalie Chrissy Avery who was upended on a shot on goal from close range, knocked down, but saved from an open net by quick thinking Tamares who cleared the floating ball just inches from the goal line with a clearing kick to midfield.