Perfect season or bust? Undefeated Archbishop McCarthy eyes first state title
Archbishop McCarthy’s Jordyn Pitter saw the open net and seized the opportunity.
St. Thomas Aquinas’ goalkeeper was tangled up with another Archbishop McCarthy player at the far end of the box in the second half of the District 15-4A championship game Thursday night. Pitter stormed to the ball and, with a strong kick, blasted it into the back of the net for the go-ahead goal, mere minutes after Aquinas had tied the game.
Pitter ran to the middle of the pitch, waving her arms in excitement as her teammates mobbed her with celebratory hugs and high fives.
Twenty minutes later, it became official: Archbishop McCarthy defeated St. Thomas Aquinas 2-1, ending the Lady Raiders’ streak of 33 consecutive district titles while improving Archbishop McCarthy to 21-0 on the year.
“This was a dream come true,” said Pitter, a transfer from West Broward High School who also scored the first goal 47 seconds into the match. “When it was tied 1-1, I was like, ‘oh no, I’m not losing.’ I am going to score and we are going to win districts.”
But districts was only the first step. Now, the real work begins.
With regional quarterfinal action set to begin on Tuesday and every match being win or go home, Archbishop McCarthy’s season will now end one of two ways: The Lady Mavericks, ranked No. 3 nationally this season, will either go undefeated and bring home the school’s first ever girls soccer state championship or they’ll find themselves on the outside looking in once again.
“There’s pressure,” Archbishop McCarthy coach Mike Sica said, “but we look at it as an opportunity to do something our school hasn’t done. Who knows? Maybe we will. We’ll give it our best shot.”
They came close last year.
After Archbishop McCarthy finished as district runner-up to Aquinas last year, the Lady Mavericks rolled through the three regional matches — including a 2-1 win over St. Thomas Aquinas — to reach the state semifinals against Estero. Archbishop McCarthy jumped out to a 4-1 lead and, with about 25 minutes left, looked destined to reach the Class 4A state championship.
And then the collapse. Four unanswered goals allowed. A 5-4 loss. Back to the drawing board.
“It’s given us something to shoot for,” Sica said. “We know how it feels to have it slip out of your hands. We’re going to do our best not to let that happen again.
This year, a combination of high-octane offense and stifling defense has made the Lady Mavericks unstoppable.
In 21 games, Archbishop McCarthy has outscored its opponents 87-8. Six players have at least eight goals this year, with freshman Sophia Goetz and sophomore Adriana Duque leading the way with 14 each. The Lady Mavericks rattled off eight consecutive shutouts before Aquinas scored its second-half goal on Thursday.
“The more we play together, the better we’re getting,” Sica said. “Little by little, it’s coming along. Every game, we’re getting everybody’s best game, especially as the season goes along and we don’t lose. Now, we’re in a spot where we can’t lose or the season will be over.”
Archbishop McCarthy opens the regionals with a quarterfinal match against the loser of the District 16-4A final between TERRA and Doral Academy.
After that is a likely third match with St. Thomas Aquinas, winners of 15 all-time state titles, in the regional semifinals.
“It does a lot when you finally get over a hump like this against a team that is arguably one of the best teams in the history of high school soccer. It’s an accomplishment,” Sica said. “.... We fully expect to see them again before the season is over.”
This story was originally published February 1, 2019 at 11:59 AM.
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