Palm Beach County high school soccer: Previewing top local teams and games to watch

WEST PALM BEACH – Olympic heights girls soccer will be fielding a much younger team this season, but one that strives to meet the same standards off the pitch, just as much as on.

That fact is cemented in the Lions being awarded the highest honor for the second consecutive season from the United Coaches Association – Olympic Heights’ squad last year was recognized as a recipient of the United Soccer Coaches Team Pinnacle Award.

Built on ethics, sportsmanship, academics, and athletic performance, the award speaks to the positive culture head coach Jim Capello, his staff, and the administration are building at Olympic Heights.

"We're already striving toward repeating again," Capello said. "There is one team, Cambridge, over in Tampa, and that's had it four or five times and they lead the pack. That's what we're striving for -- we want to stay on the map."

With such a high collective GPA, the Lions bring an incredibly smart roster the the field once more this season, an underrated aspect of a sports program that Capello agreed positively affects the planning and creative thinking during practice, ultimately leading to a great deal more autonomy as the squad creates avenues for goal-scoring opportunities.

It's also symbolic of the exceptional communication needed when you have two trios that share the same name on the roster: Ava Finnerty, Ava Cardaci, and Ava Vecchio; Sofia Arevalo, Sophia Becraft, and Sofia Panizza.

That said, the squad also graduated eight different four-year varsity players, leaving quite a few gaps to fill, but also providing opportunities for younger players to find their footing in a proven system.

"We graduated a tremendous class last year, Capello said. "We had two goal-scorers who scored over 50 goals last year and our goalkeeper had the record of 56 shutouts, which is a school record. The team is basically a lot of girls that are varsity-level players but played mostly on junior varsity last year because of the core that we graduated."

Cardaci -- one of the Ava's -- is the sole remaining four-year starter on the Lions, and she will look to take a step forward in her newfound role.

"She's going to be one of our leaders on the field, hopefully, because she's been there for the four years and can kind of direct traffic and she's knows what we expect," Capello said.

After finishing last season with a 17-5-1 record, the Lions may not be able to quite replicate the five-plus goal average they were tallying per game. But Capello believes they can get back to regionals, a feat they accomplished last season.

"Our goals every year is to get to regionals," Capello said. "We've got a tough district, with Boca, Spanish River, and Park Vista. So we know our district is going to be a challenge. But we hope we've got the talent and the credentials, so to speak, to qualify for regionals, which I believe we do. Let's do the best we can to get the points that we need to get to regionals, see what happens in districts, and let's surprise somebody in the regional tournament and see where we can go."

Girls teams to watch

Somerset-Canyons – Having reached the regional finals on the cusp of a 13-4-1 record, the Cougars showed they were ready to take the next step after the previous season. Now, with Cameron Celce entering her seniors campaign, can they take one step even further?

Benjamin – A deep playoff run capped off a 15-1-1 record, and although the Bucs would lose to NSU University in a penalty shootout, it was a tremendous season. Even more impressive, Benjamin graduated just two seniors prior to this year. In Lily White’s senior year, do the Bucs have what it takes to go all the way?

Boca Raton – Averaging three goals per game, you aren’t going to lose many games when you give up as many goals as games played. The Bobcats finished 20-4 last season, ending the season with a state championship berth. Despite the loss of a couple dynamic seniors, Boca returns a massive junior class – will that be enough?

American Heritage – The Stallions finished last season with a 14-2-1 record, allowing fewer than one goal per match, Heritage-Delray won the regional championship, holding off a strong Somerset squad. That said, how do the Stallions rebound from the loss of a big senior class?

Seminole Ridge – The Hawks had a tremendous season in their 2022-2023 campaign. Finishing 18-1-2, the Seminole Ridge’s undefeated season ended in the regional finals. While no one wants to lose, the near-perfection showcased by the Hawks squad was impressive. And they’re still young. What extra step is needed for a state championship berth?

Boys teams to watch

Spanish River – After last year’s 16-5-1 record and regional semifinal finish, Spanish River looks primed to return this season with a roster full of talent. That said, the Sharks watched Michael Capille graduate. How will they replace their scoring leader?

Benjamin – The Bucs finished last year 9-5-4 last season, including a gutsy performance against King’s Academy amid their playoff run. With Ford Cash still just a junior, Benjamin’s attack looks ready to maintain form – while Gianluca Balzano returns in net. Are there any weaknesses on this squad?

Boca Raton – Among the county’s elite – and perhaps setting the bar for other top programs – the Bobcats blitzed through a tough schedule, winning five playoff games in a deep postseason run. Finishing 22-5 was more than impressive, but with players like Caleb Chapman and Hung Vu graduating, how will Boca fill those gaps?

Royal Palm Beach – The Dark Horse favorite for many from the 2022-2023 season with a 14-5-4 record, the Wildcats burst onto the scene with big wins against the likes of Wellington and Palm Beach Central in the playoffs, setting some school history in the process. How will they replace the production of Adonte Jakusik?

Palm Beach Central – The Broncos had a massive junior class last season. With another year under those belts, Palm Beach Central is primed for another impressive campaign. Last season’s 10-4-3 season was strong. Can they top that mark?

Must-see games

Boca Raton girls soccer vs. American Heritage-Delray at Nov. 7 at 6:30 p.m.

Dwyer girls soccer vs. Seminole Ridge on Nov. 10 at 7:30 p.m.

Spanish River boys soccer vs. Boca Raton on Nov. 29 at 7:30 p.m.

Palm Beach Central boys vs. Royal Palm Beach on Dec. 4 at 7:30 p.m.

Benjamin girls vs. American Heritage-Plantation on Jan. 18 at 6 p.m.

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: Palm Beach County high school soccer: Previewing the 2023 season