AUBURNDALE — Holy Trinity defeated Episcopal 3-0 in the Class 2A state championship to win its first ever boys soccer state title.
The Tigers took a 1-0 lead after Cooper Euziere scored a goal with 4:56 left in the first half.
“I saw the ball, they headed it down and I felt like I was in the perfect position. It just came down to me, and I just decided to volley it and hit it right in the corner,” Euziere said. “I just knew we had to get a goal early and set the tone.”
Luke Daigler doubled Holy Trinity’s lead early in the second half when he netted a goal of his own.
Late in the game, Episcopal was awarded two indirect free kicks but Holy Trinity goalkeeper Dustin Strom saved both to keep the Eagles off the scoreboard. This was just the second time this season the Eagles were held scoreless in a game.
“We worked on it at practice, if it were to ever happen. It’s something we knew how to do, and we took care of it,” Strom said of the indirect free kicks.
Euziere sealed the historic win for the Tigers by scoring the team’s third and final goal with less than three minutes left in the game.
This was the second straight season the Tigers made their way to the Class 2A state championship. The team finished last season as state runner-up, and in the 2023-24 season, they went as far as the state semifinals.
Holy Trinity head coach Adrian Moreno highlighted how great it felt for the team to earn this state title after getting so close in the prior two seasons.
“It feels amazing. I know as a player I wished for this when I tried to do it, and here as a coach getting here three years in a row and then finally doing it after getting one step closer each time, it’s just an amazing feeling,” Moreno said.
Along with their state championship win, the Tiger finish their season with a record of 17-1-1. The team also won its ninth consecutive district title and third straight regional title.
“It feels great. All the hard work we’ve done throughout the season, all the obstacles we had to overcome, the loss which helped us better develop as a team. It just means the world, and I wouldn’t want to do it with any other boys, it just feels great,” Euziere said.
This article originally appeared on Florida Today: Holy Trinity boys soccer makes history, wins first state championship
Reporting by Chasite Banks, Florida Today / Florida Today
USA TODAY Network via Reuters Connect
