Stoneman Douglas girls’ soccer ends Cypress Bay’s run of state tournament appearances
Stoneman Douglas’ girls’ soccer team has had a familiar nemesis in recent years standing in its way of returning to past glory.
The Eagles faced that same Cypress Bay squad again on Wednesday with a trip to the state final four at stake.
But this time, Douglas found a way to break through the roadblock.
Emily Rodriguez and Grace Dykstra each scored goals to help the Eagles beat the Lightning 2-1 in the Region 4-7A final at Stoneman Douglas High.
The Eagles (15-1-2) will next face St. Johns Creekside in a Class 7A state semifinal on Feb. 29 at either 10 a.m. or 1 p.m. at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand. It’s Douglas’ first appearance at state since losing to Cypress Bay in 2021.
The Eagles’ victory broke a string of five consecutive seasons of Cypress Bay (16-1-4) making it to the state final four.
“I’m really proud of how hard they fought,” Douglas coach Laura Rountree said. “Cypress Bay has knocked us out the past three years. To get that win tonight was a blessing and it’s great to be a part of it.”
After a fairly even first 30 minutes of the match, Rodriguez put Douglas ahead when she controlled a rebound off a shot that bounced off the crossbar and booted it home.
Douglas added to the lead when Dykstra scored on a penalty kick after the Eagles drew a foul inside the 18-yard box.
Cypress Bay drew a penalty kick in the 78th minute and Antonella Solari capitalized to cut the deficit to one goal. But the Lightning were unable to level the score in the closing moments.
Rountree credited the experience her team had from past battles with the Lightning and a tough schedule for finally being able to get through to state.
Douglas will now chase its first state title since winning five in a row from 2003 to 2007.
“We didn’t graduate any seniors from last year’s team so that definitely helped. We were just really young last year,” Rountree said. “Cypress Bay is always a well-coached and excellent team and we know it could go either way.”
