The Lourdes Academy girls’ soccer team captures the Class 6A state championship

One by one, the buses filed in. Seven of them in all.

And when all the Lourdes Academy fans were all piled in to Spec Martin Stadium late Friday afternoon, approximately 500 of them, decked out in white-out sweat shirts, they went crazy rooting for their Lady Bobcats. They were duly rewarded for their efforts.

Thanks to a perfectly executed Isabella Guisasola-to-Mia Atrio goal early in the second half, Lourdes captured the Class 6A state championship with a 2-1 victory against Venice at Spec Martin Stadium. It marked the Bobcats’ second state title in the past three years having edged Oviedo 1-0 in 2018.

The scene was surreal when it was over as the Lourdes girls only briefly celebrated together before they headed straight over to the fence to celebrate with their euphoric fans.

“Look at that sea of white,” said Lourdes coach Ramiro Vengoechea pointing to the stands. “This is what Lourdes soccer is all about. The way the Lourdes community rallies behind these girls I think has a direct effect on the outcome of some of these games and I think that might have been the case today.”

Unlike their previous three playoff games — including last week’s state semifinal win against Viera when they scored with less than three minutes left in regulation to force overtime — the Bobcats never trailed.

Lourdes took a 1-0 lead in the 21st minute when Francesca DeZendegui got loose down low off a centering pass and headed it goalward. The ball bounced off the inside of the left post where Venice keeper Ashton Pennell grabbed it. But the side referee blew the whistle and crossed her hands signaling a goal as it was determined that Pennell had gone too far into the net to make the save and the ball crossed the line.

Lourdes had the lead. That was until the Indians (15-4-2) tied it just 2:06 before halftime on a Kiersten “Kiki” Slattery goal.

But the game was not tied for long as the Bobcats (18-2-1) got the lead they would never lose five minutes into the second half. That’s when Guisasola turned on the burners down the right side and flat out beat two Venice defenders to get the corner turned and centered the ball. Atrio dove forward and just barely got her right foot on the ball as Pennell got there as well and knocked into the back of the net.

“I saw Isabella dribbling down the right side,” said Atrio, who will now take her talents to the University of Miami after a decorated four-year career at Lourdes. “I thought to myself if she gets this thing centered — it’s a state championship game and knew I would regret it if I didn’t make a run in the box for an open chance. So I just came out of nowhere and put my life on the line and just dove to get a foot on that ball.”

The Bobcat defense was air tight as keeper Mia Alexander was never really put in any really tough spots down the stretch.

“Mia is probably the best player in Lourdes history and there have obviously been a lot of great players to come through here,” said Vengoechea definitively. “She has stepped up in every single game and especially in big moments when we really needed her. She’s never been afraid to put the team on her back when needed and the University of Miami is going to be a better program with her on the field over there.”

As far as the crowd was concerned? Atrio had plenty to say.

“I don’t think this has never happened in history with this many people coming out,” said Atrio. “I actually think it might have had a direct effect on us on the field today. We saw everybody filing in and it really got us fired up. A dream come true to close out my career this way and I wouldn’t have wanted it to end any other way.”