Cypress Bay’s banner year earns extension

Morgan’s two goals send Lightning to first title game

WESTON — One down, one to go.

Megan Morgan scored twice Friday night as host Cypress Bay downed Vero Beach 2-0 in the Class 5A state girls soccer semifinal and punched its ticket to its first state final in school history.

Cypress Bay (19-0-1) seized an early lead when Fabiola Menendez fed Morgan down the right side and her right-footed blast from 18 yards out to the far post beat Vero Beach goalkeeper Lucia Romero.

Morgan made it 2-0 in the 58th minute when she hauled in a pass from Taylor Watson at the top of the box and beat a rushing Romero for her 23rd goal of the season.

“We have never made it this far and we all contributed to get to this,” Morgan said. “I am really happy… Our defense is amazing, and we couldn’t have done it without them.”

Friday’s contest marked just the second time in program history and first time since 2012 that Cypress Bay reached the state semifinals. The Lightning fell 4-0 to eventual state champion, St. Thomas Aquinas that year.

To get to the semifinal, the Lightning knocked off defending Class 5A state champion Lourdes 1-0 on Tuesday night in the Region 4-5A final at Columbus High after falling to the Bobcats in that same round each of the previous three years. In 2012, Cypress Bay defeated Lourdes 2-1 to advance to the semifinals.

“It was just a big hump getting over Lourdes,” Cypress Bay coach Kate Dwyer said. “We had come across them five times in the last eight years.”

Central defender Maya Gordon and Alex Goffi anchored a solid defense for the Lightning against Vero Beach. Goalkeeper Milan Dewkinadan needed to make one key save early in the second half when Indians midfielder Kate Hassel’s free kick glanced off a Cypress Bay defender’s head, and Dewkinadan pushed it wide of the goal.

The Lightning’s lone blemish so far is a scoreless draw with Cardinal Gibbons — also a state finalist — on Jan. 17.

“You have Maya and Alex holding it down in the center along with Sophia Pieschacon and Erica Casadevall back there,” Dwyer said of her defensive unit that has allowed just three goals all season. “We have been flying under the radar and we like it that way. We have one more game.”

The Lightning, ranked No. 3 in the state and No. 5 nationally by MaxPreps, has outscored their opponents 89-3. They have shut out the past five opponents and haven’t allowed a goal since a 4-1 win over West Broward, a span of 406 minutes.

Cypress Bay will face the winner of the Lake Mary/Palm Harbor University game in the state final at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in DeLand on Feb. 22 at 4 p.m.

The Indians (20-3-1) had won six straight games and were ranked 23rd nationally and eighth in the state by MaxPreps.

MICHAEL LAUGHLIN/SUN SENTINEL Cypress Bay players celebrate a goal in the second half of their state semifinal soccer match against Vero Beach on Friday night in Weston.