Junior goalkeeper Valentina Bonaiuto (Valencia, Venezuela) delivered an incredible month of November as she started all six games and logged 550 minutes, most of which came in the highest pressure situations. Over the course of those game she put up a 1.31 goals against average, 17 saves and a .680 save percentage while facing 52 shots (eight goals allowed).
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She would win games against Young Harris (11/2) and at Albany State (11/9) to help secure the Lakers spot in the 2019 Peach Belt Conference Tournament field before excelling once they were in there.
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Traveling to frigid Pembroke, North Carolina to take on UNC Pembroke (11/12) in the quarterfinals she stood tall as she made three saves in what would be a 1-1 tie, officially. She made three more in a 4-1 shootout victory that propelled the club to the semifinals as they snapped a six game losing streak to UNCP that dated back to 2015.
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Bonaiuto would be even more impressive against No. 18 North Georgia (11/15) as the teams met on a mud-soaked field in Evans, Georgia. After a tying goal skidded past her in the 49th minute to make it 1-1 she would hold the line and take the game to overtime and a shootout for a second straight outing.
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Trailing 1-0 Bonaiuto came up with a key save and would do so again to preserve a 2-2 tie before holding a 5-4 lead in sudden death. She would make the game-winning save while lying prone on the ground to send the Lakers to the fifth PBC Championship Game in program history. There they would face undefeated No. 3 Flagler (11/17).
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That game would see her deliver another outstanding performance as she made six saves to take the Saints to overtime scoreless, something no other club had done all season. The hard charging offense would eventually break through to secure a 1-0 decision but it would take a redirected ball from the left end line to make that happen. To put in perspective that effort, Flagler would finish their season at No. 3 in the country and in the NCAA Division II Final Four.
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