American Heritage had to work overtime and then some to win the FHSAA Class 5A girls soccer championship on Friday afternoon at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in DeLand.
After playing 80 minutes of scoreless regulation and another 20 minutes of overtime, the nation’s fifth-ranked Patriots (18-2-2) prevailed 4-2 in the penalty kick shootout over defending state champion Cape Coral Mariner (18-5-1) to capture their 12th state championship.
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American Heritage won its 12th state championship with a penalty kick shootout win over Cape Coral Mariner on Friday afternoon. The Patriots outscored the Tritons 4-2 in PKs to win the FHSAA Class 5A girls soccer championship at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in DeLand. Submitted photo, courtesy Cindy Marcial (Courtesy)
That number ranks third-best behind St. Thomas Aquinas (15) and St. John’s Country Day from Orange Park (14). It was the American Heritage’s first trip back to the title game since 2019, and with just two seniors on their team, they made it count.
Senior defenders Dori Johnson (Grambling signee) and Nyema Freeman (University of Miami signee) get to leave the school with a ring after winning the championship. The duo kept Tritons’ senior Ryleigh Acosta (25 goals, 25 assists), a University Florida signee, in check.
“The seniors came here as freshmen the year after we won the state championship in 2019,” said American Heritage coach Cindy Marcial, who has coached the Patriots to half of their state titles. “That was their goal. They wanted that ring. They worked so hard to get that state title and be a part of the American Heritage tradition.
“They wanted to get that banner on the wall, and they did…now they are a part of it,” Marcial added. “We were pretty confident going into penalty kicks because we have practiced them for the past two months. Jill [Milffe] made that huge save with 40 seconds left in the game and it carried over to overtime and the PKs.”
Marcial said the Patriots, winners of nine straight games, “flew under the radar” this season after graduating most of her team last year. American Heritage finished the year unbeaten in their last 17. It was their eighth straight shutout, and they haven’t lost since a 2-1 setback against Boca Raton on Nov. 28. They tied Benjamin 2-2 on Jan. 12.
“This is a comeback story,” she said. “People thought we would never win again, and we were kind of the underdog all year. When we got up in the rankings, nobody believed it. Hopefully, they believe it now.”
Milffe, a sophomore goalkeeper, saved a breakaway attempt by Mariner sophomore midfielder Caroline Pelkofski with a foot save from five yards away in the closing seconds. She then made two diving saves on penalty kicks by senior Gloria Quintanilla and Carly Paz during the penalty kick shootout.
“This was the seniors last time and we wanted it for them,” said Milffe, who immediately left the field after the game to attend a college ID camp. “I only played a couple of games last year and it humbled me because I was used to starting and playing a lot. It really made me work harder, and it showed today. You can’t think about the kick, you just have to go get it. I didn’t even know we won until I saw all of the girls running towards me.”
Freeman, who played on the defensive back line with her sister Zahira Freeman, a freshman, was one of four to convert their penalty kicks. After scoring, she silenced the boisterous crowd by flashing the “U” towards the stands.
“It felt amazing,” said Freeman, who converted her penalty kick along with Samantha Villaverde, Courtney Caruso, and Amanda Caines. “This is huge. Our team is literally like family, and I am playing with my sister…it is honestly the best feeling I ever had.”
Nation’s top-ranked team Bartram Trail takes out Boca Raton in Class 7A
Bartram Trail, the nation’s top-ranked girls soccer team, had too much offensive firepower for Boca Raton and downed the Bobcats 3-0 for the FHSAA Class 7A championship on Friday night.
The Bears (21-0-2) who won back-to-back state titles in 2020 and 2021, captured their third championship in the past four seasons. They lost last season 3-2 to Creekside in the state final in 2022.
After outshooting Boca Raton, 14-2 in the first half and coming up empty, Bartram Trail finally got on the scoreboard on a penalty kick by FAU signee Olivia Bori in the 47th minute. The Bears were awarded the PK when a Boca Raton defender clipped Bori in the penalty area.
Bartram Trail made it 2-0 in the 60th minute when 2022 Gatorade Florida Player of the Year Grace Ivey, a Texas A&M signee, slipped a pass to Sophia Magdalein, who split two Boca Raton defenders for her seventh goal of the season. It was Ivey’s school-record 36th assist of the season.
The Bears, winners of 15 straight games, added a late goal by Reese Henley off a header with 20 seconds remaining off a pass by Emma Revels. The Bears outshot the Bobcats 25-5 for the game and had 12 corner kicks to 3 for Boca Raton.
Three-time state runner-up Boca Raton (20-4) saw its 13-game winning streak come to an end. Their last championship appearance came in 2017. Bobcats’ junior goalkeeper Kelly White turned in a stellar performance with nine saves in the first half and 11 for the game.
“It was really an unbelievable performance by Kelly tonight,” said Boca Raton coach Rachael Grimes. “She made save after save and kept us in the game. It was really an amazing performance and she rose to the highest level in the biggest stage. Just insane.
“I am really proud of the accomplishments these girls had this year,” Grimes added. “To see these girls step up in the regular season, it put us in a great position for the playoffs. To make it to the state semifinal really showed the character of this team Bartram Trail was amazing team. They were all over us and they were big, strong and fast. They were the better team tonight. You could see they had the experience and had been to states before.”
It was a hard road for Boca Raton, who graduated eight starters from last year’s team and lost another to a torn ACL. To reach the title game, the Bobcats needed a shootout win in the state semifinals, a double-OT win in the region quarterfinals, and one-goal wins in both the region and district finals. They graduate just one player from this year’s team in FAU signee Madison Villanti.
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American Heritage won its 12th state championship with a penalty kick shootout win over Cape Coral Mariner on Friday afternoon. The Patriots outscored the Tritons 4-2 in PKs to win the FHSAA Class 5A girls soccer championship at Spec Martin Memorial Stadium in DeLand. Submitted photo, courtesy Cindy Marcial
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