The Barron Collier girls soccer team refused to go quietly in DeLand on Thursday morning.
Appearing in the program’s first Final Four since 1998, the third-seeded Cougars fell to No. 2 seed Bishop Kenny 3-2 in the Class 4A state semifinal on Feb. 26.
“Obviously, some disappointment, but also at the same time, very proud of the girls,” Barron Collier head coach Aaron Thayer said. “They did awesome and to be the only (public) high school in a group of three very talented private schools was was pretty cool.”
The Crusaders, appearing in a second straight state semifinal, controlled most of the contest, netting their first two goals in a span of five minutes in the first half.
However, it was the Cougars who found the back of the net first after a Hannah Ali shot attempt deflected off a Bishop Kenny player, and junior Eva Rothman cleaned it up for a score.
Less than a minute later, Bishop Kenny leveled on a Stella Jones goal from the logo at Spec Martin Stadium.
Jones would net another deep one off a free kick in the 31st minute, giving the Crusaders a 2-1 lead at the half.
Bishop Kenny extended its lead in the second half when some crisp ball movement led to Cate Petre goal off a Caroline Coughlin assist.
Barron Collier didn’t give up the fight — a Hannah Ali free kick led to a goal by junior Avery LaGrasta in the 74th minute.
The Cougars nearly had the equalizer a minute later when a shot attempt by sophomore Valentina Jimenez hit off the crossbar.
“I was proud of the fight, and we talked to girls about never giving up, and they didn’t, and that was one of the biggest things we saw that out there,” Thayer said.
The Crusaders will advance to the Class 4A championship game for the first time since 2020 when they won it all. They will face the top seed, American Heritage Plantation, on Feb. 28.
The Cougars finish their season 18-4 and will graduate a pair of seniors in Kaden Crowley and Carolina Granada.
“One of the things that these ladies showed is that they know how to lead,” Thayer said. “They know how to work together as a family and I’m just so proud of them. I’m going to miss them because they bring such great leadership qualities and such great qualities as human beings. I’m so proud of the young ladies that they are.”
Barron Collier captured CCAC and district titles on their way to the program’s first regional crown since 1998.
“I think we made some incredible strides on really becoming a team and showing other teams and really good teams that we have a lot of grit and we have a lot of fight and we can hang with the best of them,” Thayer said.
The Cougars’ youth should have this group as a force to be reckoned with in the future, and Thursday’s Final Four appearance can only help them going forward.
“Being there with this young group gives us just a great view and a great perspective of what to fight and push for next season,” Thayer said. “And I think the experience that these young ladies were able to get today being at states – I think that’s going to help us so much for next season and honestly I feel like we’re going to turn some heads next year. I think we’ll be even better next season.”
This article originally appeared on Fort Myers News-Press: Barron Collier girls soccer falls to Bishop Kenny in 4A state semifinal
Reporting by Dustin B Levy, Fort Myers News-Press & Naples Daily News / Fort Myers News-Press
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
