On Wed., Feb. 11, at 5 p.m., the girls varsity soccer team faced off against Cypress Bay High School in a regional semifinal matchup. The team entered the game coming off a 3-0 quarterfinal victory over Doral Academy on Thurs., Feb. 5. Up until this point, the team had a successful season, going 9-6-2 and securing the Florida 7A District 14 Championship. Cypress Bay entered the game with an 18-1 record on the season. The winner of this matchup advances to the regional finals on Tues., Feb. 17.

“Our coach has put in so much effort to train us thoroughly for this game, and it really boosts my confidence and helps me feel more prepared,” center back Olivia Destefano (3) said.

To begin the game, the team was on the defensive. Cypress Bay attacked relentlessly while the team attempted to hold strong. After a clear from fullback Courtney Heymach (24), Cypress Bay quickly stole the ball back and scored, making the score 1-0 with 36 minutes left in the game.

Heymach displayed a great show of defense, defending numerous Cypress Bay attacks and fighting for possession of the ball.

Following the kickoff, midfielder Audrey Haltiwanger (16) dribbled the ball up the field and it appeared the team could even the score. However, Cypress Bay eventually cleared the ball out of the zone.

On the next attack, the team nearly capitalized off a centering pass from striker Alexa Jourdan (6), although the shot was saved by the goal keeper and then cleared.

After the clear, Cypress Bay quickly pushed the ball up the field before DeStefano stole and cleared the ball. DeStefano also played well, clearing many Cypress Bay chances and playing with high physicality to stifle Cypress Bay’s attacks.

Still, Cypress Bay was relentless on both offense and defense, stealing the ball away from the team and moving it up the field fast.

On the next Cypress Bay attack, goal keeper Sabrina Cernech (1) made a pair of good saves and was able to clear the ball out of danger. Following this, though, Cypress Bay forced a turnover in the team’s zone and pushed a shot past Cernech for their second goal of the game with 24 minutes left in the half.

After another chance by the team that was stopped by the Cypress Bay defense, the team once again found themselves attempting to keep the ball out of harm’s way. On a shot by Cypress Bay, Cernech leapt up and saved the ball off the crossbar; however, in a controversial call, the referees ruled it a goal, sparking outrage amongst the team’s supporters.

Going into the halfway point of the first half, the team found themselves facing adversity, down 3-0 with their offense lacking early.

Coming out of the break, DeStefano and Heymach continued their strong defensive campaign, with the both of them along with team captain and centerback Jacqueline DeStefano (23) and fullback Breanna McWilliams (14) keeping the ball out of the defensive zone for most of the remainder of the half.

With four minutes left, Cypress Bay nearly extended their lead to four with a free kick attempt. Goalkeeper Racquel Rubin (0), who replaced Cernech at the end of the quarter, saved the shot and cleared the ball.

To end the half, the team seemed to have more chances for their first goal of the match, but Cypress Bay was able to keep them off the board, and the team entered halftime staring at a three goal deficit.

“Despite the loss, we now know what system does and does not work for our team, and hopefully the juniors and underclassmen carry that into next season,” Jacqueline DeStefano said.

Coming out of the half, the team aimed to cut down Cypress Bay’s lead. After the team’s stagnant offense in the first half, a show of offense was needed to get back into the game. The team’s first scoring opportunity of the half came with midfielder Emily Rodriguez’s (25) shot nearly getting the team on the board, although the Cypress Bay goalkeeper stopped it.

For the rest of the quarter, both teams seemed to be stuck in an offensive stalemate, as neither could generate any offense and were locked at the 3-0 score at the break.

At this point in the game, it was apparent that if the team was unable to get any offense going soon, their season would come to an end. Rodriguez once again had a shot on goal, but the ball was saved and cleared.

Moments later, Cypress Bay was awarded a free kick in the team’s end of the field, and scored with 12 minutes left, making the score 4-0. Just three minutes later, Cypress Bay scored again, but the goal was called off due to an offsides call.

Cypress Bay had another chance with only 3 minutes left, but Rubin made a diving save to force a corner kick, which was then cleared. Neither team had any offense in the final minutes and with the blow of the final whistle, the team’s successful 2025-2026 season came to an end.

“It was very upsetting playing my final game, and when the whistle blew I was very emotional,” Rodriguez said. “My time on the team was amazing. I met the best people and created some of my favorite memories.”

It was a disappointing loss for the team, losing by a score of 4-0 in the regional semifinals. However, the team still had a good season, finishing with a 9-7-2 record and being named the Florida 7A district 14 champions. The team will look to learn from this game and work hard to be back in the semifinals next season.