Cypress Bay girls soccer makes unfortunate history after fourth consecutive loss at state

One of these days, they’re going to get up here and get it right.

But Friday afternoon was not that day for the Cypress Bay girls soccer team.

Hard to believe, but the Lightning and the Buffalo Bills now have something very much in common - reaching the championship games of their respective sports four times in a row – and losing all four.

Friday’s latest setback for Cypress Bay was a 3-1 defeat courtesy of St. Johns Creekside in the Class 7A state championship game at Spec Martin Stadium. It marked Creekside’s first ever state title after a runner-up finish in 2017.

Cypress Bay became the first girls soccer team in state history to lose four straight state title games, surpassing Delray American Heritage, which lost three in a row from 2007-09.

“You would think after four years, people say, ‘well you’re used to it by now but the truth is, you only get used to it when you get up here and win, not lose,” said longtime Cypress coach Kate Dwyer, still raw with emotion having just addressed her team. “It actually just gets harder and harder. Today was especially more difficult because unlike the last two years, we were right there today. This one was winnable.”

Dwyer referred to the fact that, unlike the last two years (and similar to 2019’s close 1-0 loss to Palm Harbor University), where they were steamrolled by Jacksonville Bartram Trail by a combined score of 9-0, they had a real chance to clear that last hurdle and give the program its first ever state title.

After falling behind in the game’s 17th minute when Avery Robinson scored for Creekside (19-3-1), it looked like Cypress Bay (16-5-1) would head to halftime with that one goal deficit.

But senior forward Hannah Mason had other ideas. Just 20 seconds after her shot from in front of the net was stoned by Creekside keeper Amaya Logan, she got to a loose ball off a corner kick and this time, tapped it past a diving Logan to tie the game with 1:07 left.

“That was a huge moment for us, we went into the locker room really pumped up,” Mason said. “We felt like this might finally be our day.”

Then came the first minute of the second half when Mason again came open down low and found herself face-to-face with Logan again. She headed the ball toward the top left but Logan managed to reach out and make a big save that kept Cypress from taking a 2-1 lead.

Then came three dreadful minutes at the 29-minute mark. That’s when some loose Lightning defense pretty much ended their hopes when they gave up two goals in a span of 2:34.

First, when they allowed Robinson to do too much dribbling down low in front of the net before she turned on a shot and left-footed one into the top left corner of the net. Then shortly thereafter when Paige McSwigan knocked one in. Even though there was still 27 minutes left, Lightning heads drooped and shoulders slumped – it was over.

“It’s just so frustrating because we worked so hard all during the offseason and during the season to get all the way back up here and give ourselves another opportunity and to come up short again just really hurts,” said Mason as she held the runner-up trophy in her hands. “This was my last game but hopefully we can pass this down to the underclassmen and they can keep trying to get up here because eventually it will get done.”

Dwyer added: “It was hard work this year and we won some really big games down the stretch including Douglas (regional semifinals) and Boca Raton (state semifinals) on the road. People just don’t understand how difficult it is to make it this far so I’m proud of my girls for getting us here again. Hopefully someday we’ll get this thing done.”