Four-peat complete: Lakeland Christian wins another 2A girls soccer state title

AUBURNDALE — The Lakeland Christian girls soccer team had to regroup earlier this week when players and coaches learned that they would be facing St. Petersburg Shorecrest Prep in the Class 2A state championship game.

The Vikings certainly weren’t underestimating Shorecrest, but St. Johns County Day was ranked No. 9 overall in Florida and No. 1 in Class 2A. A rematch of last year title game when LCS upset St. Johns was all but scheduled when the playoffs began.

So when Shorecrest upset St. Johns in the semifinals on Tuesday, LCS coach Jason Streets had to get his Vikings ready for a somewhat-unexpected opponent.

And ready they were.

Lakeland Christian outplayed Shorecrest Prep for most of the game, and center back Halle Johnson’s header in the 64th minute gave the Vikings the only goal they needed to win 1-0 on Friday morning at Lake Myrtle Sports Complex.

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It's the third time a Lakeland Christian girls sports program has won at least four consecutive state titles, joining the cross country and track and field teams.

The feeling, which she described as shock and belief, was overwhelming to star midfielder KJ Straub.

“I just feel so blessed that we were able to do it again,” Sraub said. “We had such an amazing team. The odds were stacked against us the whole season. So I’m just excited that we were able to come out on top. And (Shorecrest) played absolutely amazing, so it was just a great game.”

After defeating True North Classical in the semifinals on Tuesday, the Vikings received a surprise when St. Johns Country Day was eliminated in the second semifinal.

Playing Shorecrest worked to LCS’s advantage. The Chargers' playing style is similar to the Vikings, so Streets didn’t have to make the adjustments that would have been required against St. Johns.

“We would have had to play against the best coach (Mike Pickett) in the state,” Streets said. “You would have had to prepare differently. Everything they do is so methodical. Shorecrest is a lot like us, same tactic, same formation a 4-4-2, more direct, not as much possession, two good goalies. It really was going to be one those game that whoever got the (only) goal.”

That goal came from an unlikely combination. The Vikings had numerous corner kicks and deep throw-ins but couldn’t score until Johnson converted off Grace Hames’ corner minutes after the second-half water break. Hames and Johnson played shutdown defense at center back in front of goalkeeper MacKenzie Marotz.

“Grace had an amazing ball,” Johnson said. “The wind kind of curved it like literally right to my head. So all I really (had to do was) aim it down, and it went right. It was really all her placement.”

It was just the third goal of the season for Johnson.

“I’ve actually never scored a header goal so that was my first one,” she said. “So definitely, there was some pressure.”

The wind was a factor. In the first half, LCS went into the breeze and held its own. The Vikings controlled possession instead of punting long kicks into the wind and had the best chances in the half, especially a free kick by Straub that hit the crossbar and a shot from Mari Carr that the Shorecrest keeper made a great save on.

The LCS back line set the tone. On one early possession, Hames stopped the Chargers in their tracks after picking the ball off her opponent's foot while she was on a run right at Hames.

Straub, in front of the center backs, helped LCS control the midfield with her relentless play.

Although the Vikings scored just the one goal, they were relentless in their attack as Carr and Ella Williams put up constant pressure after getting the ball from the midfielders. Caroline Morin consistently won 50-50 balls in the midfield.

Streets said that there were some letdown in the semis; the team as a whole didn’t play its best. That wasn’t the case against Shorecrest Prep.

With Straub playing as a third center back and the Vikings doing a stellar job controlling the ball in the corner on the far side, they ate up nearly four minutes of clock and held on for a fourth consecutive state title.

“I can’t say enough, I am in shock,” Streets said. “I am absolutely shocked. To think of where we were at the beginning of the year and how long the season was and trying different things and bring the girls together, just to see them take this playoff run and do what they’ve done, it’s just amazing.”

This article originally appeared on The Ledger: Lakeland Christian blanks Shorecrest in FHSAA 2A girls soccer final