Soccer Game Preview: Matanzas vs. Bartram Trail

The Matanzas Pirates will challenge the Bartram Trail Bears at 6:30 p.m. on Thursday. Matanzas' last three matchups have been decided by no more than a goal, so don't be surprised if it's a close one.

Matanzas is on a roll after a high-stakes playoff matchup on Tuesday. While the 2-2 score might suggest a draw, it was Matanzas who was credited with the win. Matanzas got it done in the shootout by posting five goals to Nease's four.

On Tuesday, Bartram Trail sure made it a nail-biter, but they managed to escape with a 3-2 victory over Tocoi Creek. Given the Bears' advantage in MaxPreps' Florida soccer rankings (they are ranked 47th, while the Toros are ranked 214th), the result wasn't entirely unexpected.

Matanzas is also on a roll lately: they've won eight of their last ten contests, which provided a nice bump to their 12-3-1 record this season. The wins came thanks to their offensive performance across that stretch, as they scored 28 goals over those ten games. As for Bartram Trail, their win bumped their record up to 10-3-5.