Spartans stunned: Kasica, Shorecrest oust St. Johns in semis
St. Johns Country Day’s return to the girls soccer summit must wait one more year.
The No. 1 reason: Sonoma Kasica.
The Shorecrest Prep senior goalkeeper denied St. Johns Country Day time after time — none bigger than a 76th-minute penalty kick save on Sydney Schmidt — to stun the 14-time champion Spartans 1-0 in Tuesday’s Florida High School Athletic Association Class 2A girls soccer semifinal.
St. Johns, stifled all day by the keeper’s heroics, got its golden opportunity in the 76th minute, when Kasica was whistled for tripping up Schmidt in the box. Sophomore forward Schmidt, the Spartans’ leading scorer, took aim at the right corner, but Kasica lunged at full distance for the stop.
While St. Johns attacked all day but couldn’t find the net, Shorecrest Prep threatened infrequently but finished ruthlessly: Adelaide Oman netted the only goal for the Chargers (10-3-3), an accurate header that exploited a defensive miscommunication after a high ball fluttered into the box in the 30th minute.
For the first time since 2011, St. Johns — winner of 11 consecutive state titles from 2012 to 2022 — will miss out on the state final, which will instead match Shorecrest Prep and defending champion Lakeland Christian at 4 p.m. Friday.
Kasica stars for Shorecrest
Prior to the semifinal round, St. Johns coach Mike Pickett had described Kasica as “like seven goalkeepers put into one.”
St. Johns had found a way past Kasica in the 2020 final, while she was still in eighth grade, and again in 2022. This time, she was unbeatable.
Before Oman’s goal, and for much of the time afterward, it was nonstop bombardment from the Spartans, only for a crossbar, an acrobatic header off the goal line or especially a save from Kasica to crush their hopes.
A goalkeeper of many talents, who also owns the state javelin championship in track and field, she also starts for the United States Under-19 women’s national team and represented the nation at the Pan American Games.
Kasica put the exclamation point on the day with one more diving stop in the 78th minute, leaving the Spartans stunned at the Lake Myrtle Sports Complex in Auburndale.
St. Johns (15-2-5) had won its previous eight games and entered the game ranked No. 3 in the southeastern United States (Ponte Vedra and Bartram Trail stand first and second) in the United Soccer Coaches poll.
St. Johns is in line to return most of its regulars next year but will lose several key senior players to graduation, including goalkeeper Roxy Mathews and midfielders Savannah Berrang and Sofia Avila.