Mourning girls soccer stuns Miami Springs for first ever district title

Mourning girls soccer coach Alta Dustin makes no bones about it.

“When I first took the job three and a half years ago, I didn’t know one thing about soccer,” said Dustin. “I was a history teacher and was told the only way to get a teaching job was to tell them you would coach a sport.”

Dustin needed a job and Mourning needed a girls soccer coach, so away they went.

Three seasons of growing pains and brutal losses all came to fruition on Thursday night, though, with Dustin and her girls celebrating wildly when Mourning pulled off a shocking 1-0 upset of Miami Springs in the District 16-3A championship game at Traz Powell Stadium. It marked the first district title in the 10-year history of the program.

Springs (14-7), which had won six consecutive district titles and 12 of the last 14 going into the game, will now instead travel to Plantation to take on state power American Heritage in a regional semifinal on Tuesday while the Sharks (12-2) will host Pembroke Pines Charter at Ives Estates Park at 7 p.m.

The lone and ultimately game-winning goal came early in the second half when, following a foul call, Mourning was given a free kick from about 25 yards out.

That’s when senior and four-year starter Alessia Pous stepped up and drilled a perfectly placed laser into the top left corner of the net past diving Springs goalkeeper Amanda Parson.

“It was a really hard shot from a tough angle and I honestly didn’t think it was going in when it left my foot,” said Pous. “I couldn’t believe it when it went in. What an incredible win. I’m not only happy for our program and our school but for my fellow seniors because we’ve worked so hard every year to get to this point and it’s a dream come true.”

Following the second half water break and with their precious one-goal lead, Sharks players went to their coach to discuss late-game strategy.

“I was content to keep pushing to try and maybe put another one in the net but my players and I have an interesting relationship,” quipped Dustin, who gave a lot of credit to Aida Montes De Oca (now the coach at Miami Beach) for helping her early on as her assistant coach for teaching her the game. “We do a lot of consulting with each other and they came to me and said it’s time to ‘park the bus’ (soccer lingo for drop everybody back on defense to clear shots out) so we went with it and they did a great job down the stretch of protecting our keeper (Daniella Periana) as Springs never really got any great chances.”

Mourning actually defeated Springs 2-0 in the first regular season matchup in early December (it marked Springs’ first regular season district loss in five years) but when the Sharks traveled to Springs High for the rematch on Jan. 15, the Hawks were ready and delivered a convincing 3-0 “get-even” win.

Said Dustin: “Even though we lost the second time, I think beating Springs early in the season gave our girls the confidence that they could find a way to do it again and sure enough they did. A tremendous effort by them and a real watershed moment for our program and this school.”

MORE GIRLS SOCCER

▪ District 16-5A final: Coral Reef 2, Palmetto 1: Tianna Rivera scored both goals including the game-winner with one minute to go. Dominique Mosley scored the Palmetto goal on a penalty kick. GK Emma Diaz 4 saves for CR.

▪ District 15-5A final: Lourdes 5, Coral Gables 0 – Mia Briones 2 goals, Alyssa Granda and Mila Kuylenstierna 1 goal each. Mia Atrio 1 goal, 1 assist, Alexa Sanchez 2 assists. Lourdes: 18-1-1

▪ District 14-5A final: Cooper City 2, Krop 0: Olivia Lewis and Kyler Doherty 1 goal each, Jasmine O’Hara 2 assists.

▪ District 13-5A final: Cypress Bay 3, Western 0.

▪ District 14-2A final: Cardinal Gibbons 4, North Broward Prep 1: CG – Sydney Polivka 3 goals. Alysa Vazquez 1 goal, 2 assists. CG: 14-1-4.

BOYS SOCCER

▪ District 14-5A final: Krop 6, Flanagan 0 – Sonny Innocent 2 goals, Facundo Achinelli, Benjamin Boushira, Luis Constantini and Tiago Pillado 1 goal each. GK Ian Ostrowicz 4 saves, shutout

▪ District 14-1A: Miami Country Day 3, Hillel 1: Diego Oropeza 2 goals, 1 assist; Erik Pantin 1 goal.

GIRLS BASKETBALL

▪ Gulliver Prep 60, Cantebury School 45: GP – Kaplan 17, Ka. Sanders 16, Haymore 15, Doctor 8, Joseph 2, Berman 2. GP: 18-6

▪ Ransom Everglades 58, Riviera Prep 26: Ransom Everglades- Arnold 15, Lindsey 15, Sekoff 13, Love 4, Weintraub 5, Rosenthal 3, Pena 3. RP – Diaz 7, Carmentates 6, Broche 5, I. Vasconcello 4, Bernal 2, H. Vasconcello 2

▪ Carrollton 51, TERRA 35: Mendez 18, Paneque 16, Benitez 13, Mas 2, McCarthy-Levy 2. CAR: 18-4

BOYS BASKETBALL

▪ American 66, Hialeah-Miami Lakes 50: AM – Wade 20, Alic 12, Nelson 11, Noel 10, Arcila 4, Moratinos 4, Fueroa 2, Jackson 2, Correndera 2. HML – Fenn 11, Bodin 11, Romeo 10, Ewart 7, Schuman 4, Mena 4.

▪ Killian 58, Homestead 47: KIL 18-7

This story was originally published February 1, 2019 at 2:48 PM.