- December 4, 2025
Seabreeze's Kylie Watson gets tripped up by Horizon's Janessa Crespo (7) during the regional semifinal game. Photo by Michele Meyers
Hannah Howell (18), Arianna Roy (15), Charlie Deininger (20) and Mackenzie Roy do a little celebration walk after winning against Horizon in the regional semifinal game. Photo by Michele Meyers
The Seabreeze Sandcrabs soccer win the regional semifinals game against Horizon 1-0. They moved on to regional finals to play Cypress Creek. Photo by Michele Meyers
Nickole Dane (13), Avery Dellinger (00) and Morgan Long (6) are all smiles after their win against Horizon in the regional semifinals. Photo by Michele Meyers
Referees lead Seabreeze and Horizon onto the field before the regional semifinal game. Photo by Michele Meyers
Arianna Roy steals the ball away from Horizon during the regional semifinal game. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze head coach Eli Freidus is disappointed after the game was called temporarily at the regional semifinal game against Horizon. Photo by Michele Meyers
Olivia Chase tries to get the ball under control against Horizon in the regional semifinal game. Photo by Michele Meyers
Mackenzie Roy holds off a Hawk during the regional semifinal game against Horizon. Photo by Michele Meyers
Kylie Watson heads the ball toward her teammate during the regional semifinal game against Horizon. Photo by Michele Meyers
Brianna Chesley jumps into action when the ball moves up field during the regional semifinal game against Horizon. Photo by Michele Meyers
Brianna Chesley draws back to kick a goal but hits the framework instead during the regional semifinal game against Horizon. Photo by Michele Meyers
Caroline Kozlow (2) watches as Olivia Chase (14) juggles the ball during the regional semifinal game. Seabreeze wins 1-O. Photo by Michele Meyers
Horizon's Caroline Kozlow (2) and Seabreeze's Kylie Watson (1) fight to win the ball in the regional semifinal game. Photo by Michele Meyers
Striker Brianna Chesley battles for ball control against Horizon player Lily Dobson. Photo by Michele Meyers
Sandcrab Katie Collins squeezes through two Horizon players to get the ball during the regional semifinal game. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze midfielder Kylie Watson jumps for the ball during the regional semifinal against Horizon. Photo by Michele Meyers
Seabreeze girls soccer coach Eli Freidus celebrated his birthday Friday, Feb. 10, with his team and a 1-0 win against the Horizon Hawks of Winter Garden in the Class 5A regional semifinal.
“That was not our best performance, but it’s a win and we got that monkey off our backs,” he said. “We are in the final eight right now — in the state. It’s a win; let’s go celebrate.”
But the district champion Sandcrabs’ hopes of advancing to the final four fell short on Feb. 14 with a double overtime loss to Cypress Creek.
In the regional semifinal, due to rain and soggy fields, the referees called the game with 14:54 left in the first half. Seabreeze athletic director Brad Montgomery contacted the Florida High School Athletic Association, which was able to get the referees back on the field to finish the game.
With a score of 0-0 at the break, team captain and goal keeper Avery Dellinger and striker Brianna Chesley discussed what needed to happen to bring home a win.
“We said at the beginning, in our huddle, that we have to come out quick,” Dellinger said. “We need a goal early, because we knew the weather and situation that was going on. Me and Bri told them we have got to win this game. We are supposed to go further than this game. We prepared all season for this. We are not meant to stop here. We need to play our game, play strong, play physical.”
Going back into the game, the Sandcrabs kept their formation and style of play.
“Our main goal is to go to states and win the championship,” Chesley said. “They (Horizon) can give it what they want, but we’re going to work as a team and we are going to get the better outcome.”
At 9:10 p.m., the game was restarted. The intensity increased as both teams fought to keep the ball at their end of the field. Yellow cards were given to Horizon midfielders Caroline Kozlow and Janessa Crespo involving a slide tackle that injured Seabreeze player Annabel Thistle.
After several goal attempts that ricocheted off the framework, Brianna Chesley finally kicked the ball past goalie Ella Henderson’s outstretched leg.
“The game plan is we’ve got to play better,” Freidus said. “Every good run we have, I always noticed we have a game like this. Really good teams still have those games and get through. If you’re a bad team, you fall on those games. This is where they’ve got knocked out a bunch of years. We finally broke through, so that’s a big deal.”
But Seabreeze fell just short in the regional final.
