Bishop Moore goes back-to-back in 4A
Groundhog Day came a few weeks ago, but it may as well have been Wednesday night for the Bishop Moore girls soccer team.
Nearly a year to the day after the Hornets captured their sixth state championship against Delray Beach American Heritage, they turned the trick again against the same team.
The score wasn’t the same (4-2 last year), but the result was. The Hornets, on the strength of a Amelia Miller goal just 1:10 before halftime and outstanding goalkeeping from Amanda Hernandez Cepero, hung on for a 1-0 victory in the Class 4A state championship game at Spec Martin Stadium.
The FHSAA title was the seventh for the Lady Hornets, who finished 20-2-3, and historic as it marked the first time they did it back-to-back. Even Miller’s goal felt like Groundhog Day. After Bishop Moore spent most of the first half clearing balls out of its own end with very few offensive chances, the Hornets took maximum advantage of their first good look. It came after Ellie Raymond dropped a pass down deep in front of the net and Miller beat Heritage keeper Andrea Herzog to the ball. Miller popped it up over Herzog’s head and the ball trickled into the goal.
“So I just saw her make that pass, and saw the keeper coming up and I just kind of popped it up just like I did last year,” Miller said. “I swear it looked exactly like my first goal last year when I scored in this game. I can’t wait to rewatch it and look at it. Everyone came up to me after I score with, ‘That was just like last year.’ I didn’t think that would necessarily be the only goal of the night which is crazy, but fortunately one was enough.”
It was enough because the Bishop Moore defense and Hernandez Cepero were under attack virtually the entire second half. Stallions forward Nyela Calnek and striker Isabella Larriu were relentless in pressing the action trying to create opportunities.
But the quality chances for American Heritage (14-2-1), which suffered its third straight championship-game loss, were not that frequent. When they were, Cepero was there to make the save. The stat sheet said she had only 3, but her work went well beyond that as many balls needed to be cleared and she was right in the middle of the firing line.
“It was tough because a one-goal lead is not much, so I think I just kind of tried to stay in the moment, stay focused and do it for the seniors,” said Cepero, who was awarded the game ball. “I just kind of tune everyone and everything out, stay in it the moment, focus on the ball and allow my defenders to do their job, and that’s exactly what happened.
One of those key defenders was center back Katsi Maria Bengoa.
“Me and the center back, we just had to keep communicating with each other to see who would call out the mark and who would draw back,” Bengoa said. “Also Amanda would talk to us on switch-offs as well. It was a lot to try and keep them out of the net but it was just a matter of keeping calm out there.”
Montverde wins 3A crown
After winning back-toback state titles in 2018 and 2019 before dropping out of FHSAA state series competition for three years, Montverde Academy made its return to this season’s playoffs a triumphant one.
Ranked No. 2 in the state regardless of classification, the Eagles — led by a hat trick from Estefania Gonzalez — lived up to their top billing by dominating from the opening whistle and easily disposing of Davie NSU University School 6-0 in the Class 3A state championship game on Wednesday afternoon at Spec Martin Stadium.
“Just a really great effort by the girls today,” said Montverde coach Robbie Aristodemo, whose team finished 15-2-2. “There’s just nothing like high school soccer. I’ve coached national-team players and professional players but there’s nothing like representing your school in front of your friends, faculty and administration and delivering a state title. It’s just a totally different feel.”
Aristodemo watched most of the first half in frustration as his players virtually lived on the University end and did everything but find the back of the net.
As big a game as Gonzalez had, there’s no telling how many goals she could’ve had had University goalkeeper Avril Ramirez not made some amazing first saves.
Three times, Gonzalez had golden opportunities to score and three times she came up empty before Grace Sodermark fed her a shot from the outside. Gonzalez juked a pair of U. School defenders and this time got her shot past Ramirez into the bottom right corner of the net with 11:20 remaining in the half.
“It was just a matter of keeping at it as I had a lot of chances and knew we would eventually start finding the net, and that’s what happened,” Gonzalez said. “It feels great to get a hat trick in a game like this and be able to help my team in such a big game. It’s a wonderful feeling and I’m coming back next year and it would be great to do it again.”