Palmer Trinity’s Lila Algarin is the Dade 4A-1A Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year
The power of Palmer Trinity was on full display in the Class 2A semifinals and Lila Algarin was in the middle of the Falcons’ eruption.
The midfielder scored once for Palmer Trinity and handed out a pair of assists as part of an eight-goal explosion to send the Falcons to the 2A championship.
Algarin’s central role in Palmer Trinity’s dynamic offense and run to the 2A title game is why she’s the Miami Herald’s Miami-Dade County Girls’ Soccer Player of the Year for Classes 4A-1A.
“We said from the start we could go that far,” Algarin said, “and that’s what we did.”
Algarin, who has committed to Albany, finished her senior season with 24 goals and 19 assists, and her high school career with 58 goals and 34 assists.
“I’ve always wanted to play college soccer,” Algarin said, “so just to be able to do that and continue playing the sport that I love is just awesome.”
Although the Falcons fell short of a state title with a loss on penalty kicks in the 2A championship, Algarin converted her attempt during penalty kicks and helped make Palmer Trinity one of the best teams in Florida. The Falcons averaged 4.4 goals per game and lost only one game by more than one goal all season.
Algarin, who also plays for the Dominican Republic’s national teams, was one of the best all-around offensive engines in South Florida, with her ability to create as a passer and finish as a scorer. With Algarin’s help, forward Scarlett Baur piled up 34 goals and attacking midfielder Brooklyn Schiffrin added 16.
“We have a lot of great players,” Algarin said, “so to be chosen is just amazing.”
Even though Palmer Trinity narrowly missed out on its first state championship, Algarin gave the Falcons one final season to remember before she heads to college to continue her career at the next level.
“It was amazing just to go that far,” Algarin said. “Just to be part of that team and score as many goals as we could, and to get into that position was just amazing.”