The scoreboard may have said time was up, but Pensacola Catholic senior goalkeeper Lily Rodriguez knew she had to stay locked in.
In soccer, only the head referee says when the game is over. He’d yet to blow the whistle, so the reigning PNJ Defensive Player of the Year focused on the play in front of her while everyone not on the pitch wondered just how much time was remaining to seal the Crusaders 1-0 win over Florida High and a return trip to the Region 1-3A final.
“In that moment you definitely want it to be over,” Rodriguez said. “But you have to stay in the game as a goalkeeper. If you don’t mentally stay in the game you’re going to make a make a mistake and they’re going to score.”
Rodriguez and the rest of her teammates gritted through a couple more minutes to get back to the moment they’ve been waiting for all season. A return to the regional finals after losing in that same round at home to South Walton last year.
Pensacola Catholic (14-2-3 overall) will travel to face that same Seahawks squad in the Region 1-3A final on Feb. 13 at 7 p.m.
“It’s pretty amazing to be back in this position,” Rodriguez said.
Challenging schedule pays off
After graduating just one senior, the Crusaders kept their goals high. The lone loss was defender Emma LaCour, and they still returned everyone else from a backline that recorded 16 shutouts in 2024-25. Catholic still had a loaded offense, led by junior forward Addison Manning, the reigning PNJ Player of the Year.
With the same goals, head coach John Guidroz tried a slightly different approach. The Crusaders slimmed down their schedule, maximizing their opportunities against good teams while limiting easy wins.
Catholic played just 14 regular season games, compared to 17 a year ago. Nine were against teams that qualified for the state playoffs.
“Putting them in those games with 5A, 6A schools has been wildly helpful,” Guidroz said. “And it shows in the way they’re able to play and keep their composure.”
The Crusaders also faced adversity during the regular season with fewer easier games, something that helped against Florida High (15-4-1).
Catholic went just 1-2-3 in a stretch from Nov. 21-Jan. 6, which included four games against teams that qualified for the state playoffs in their respective classifications. Several players were out with the flu during that stretch, when the Crusaders scored just eight goals and didn’t record a single clean sheet.
Last year, they were undefeated until losing to South Walton in the district championship.
Catholic learned then what can happen if it doesn’t play to its potential. More importantly, it learned it can persevere through tough times by trusting each other.
For much of the regional semifinal contest, the Crusaders had buildup in the final third but couldn’t finish. Not until sophomore forward Lulu Kerns tapped in the rebound from Layla Johnson’s initial shot in the 68th minute.
Before then, there wasn’t a sense of panic on the field, or at halftime or in midgame water break huddles. Only antsy fans in the stands. Those on the pitch continued to work and believe.
“We were able to learn to deal with the adversity,” Kerns said.
Catholic’s backline has rounded into form too, recording six straight shutouts since the Crusaders rocky midseason stretch. Junior Cate Carlson keeps things under control and sophomore Jenna Kisner played a key role in keeping Florida High sophomore forward Gabrielle Jeune, who’s scored 27 goals this season, from making a big impact.
But Rodriguez, a four-year starter, made the biggest plays against the Seminoles. She deflected a point-blank shot off her hands in the final minutes of the first half to keep the game scoreless. Then in the final minutes of the second half, she slid away from the goal and to her right to deflect a shot coming from the right side.
“She gives us ultimate confidence in her ability,” Guidroz said. “The shots she had with the finger save, that changes the whole game.”
Rematch ready
One year later, Catholic feels more prepared for the regional final.
A more mature group has been tested more often, learning just what it takes to achieve their goals.
Tests that included a pair of 2-0 wins over South Walton this season. The first came all the way back in the Crusaders season opener on Nov. 5. The second came in the District 1-3A final on Jan. 27.
The Crusaders like playing on South Walton’s brand new turf football field, as it allows them to advantage of their speedy forwards and midfielders. But the Seahawks have the experience of winning this game, having advanced to back-to-back Final Fours.
South Walton got the second of its back-to-back regional titles last year at Catholic’s home field. The Crusaders are hoping to return the favor on Friday.
“Since we defeated them twice with a 2-0, I think that’s going to help our mentality,” Kerns said. “But I also think it’s going to boost theirs. They’re going to come back here and they’re going to be just as hungry. We’re just going to have to bring it since it’s at their homefield. But I think we got it.”
This article originally appeared on Pensacola News Journal: How Pensacola Catholic girls soccer returned to regional finals
Reporting by Justin Fitzgerald, Pensacola News Journal / Pensacola News Journal
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