- February 9, 2026
All three teams came so close to upsetting a No. 2 seed in the girls and boys soccer playoffs. All three lost a heartbreaker by one goal in the regional quarterfinals to end their season.
The Flagler Palm Coast girls fell to 2024 state champ Creekside 1-0 on Thursday, Feb. 5, in the Region 1-7A playoffs. The Knights’ Camila Adame scored on a set piece off a corner kick for the only goal of the game.
The Seabreeze girls lost 2-1 in double overtime to Cypress Creek in the Region 2-5A playoffs. The Coyotes scored the winning goal on a header with about 2 1/2 minutes left in the second overtime.
The Seabreeze boys lost 1-0 to Orlando Innovation in Region 2-5A on Friday, Feb. 6.
“We were unlucky,” Seabreeze boys coach Alex Perez said. “They were a great team — their size and the way they play. We fought to the end. We played very good defensively, and we almost got two goals. We just couldn’t connect on a last touch.”
Perez said senior goalkeeper Chandler Klepper had three or four saves that looked to be sure goals.
FPC senior goalkeeper Natalie Neal, had another 20-plus save game against Creekside. She had 24 saves a week after collecting 25 saves in the Bulldogs’ 5-0 loss to Creekside in the district championship game to put her over 500 saves for her career.
Neal will continue playing close to home. She has signed with two-time junior college national champ Daytona State College.
“The defense played really well,” FPC coach Pete Hald said. “Natalie had a tremendous game, and Eva Sites, our centerback, played outstanding.”
Katherine Ouellette had a couple of chances to tie the score, including on a breakaway late in the first half in which Creekside keeper Sarah Dresback made a huge save, Hald said.
The Bulldogs finished the season with a 14-3-5 record. They won the Five Star Conference championship. They were undefeated through their first 17 games, and they made the playoffs for the first time since 2021.
We accomplished a lot. I think we checked all the boxes. We were hoping for some more, obviously, and it would have been nice if we got to play somebody different, but we put in a great performance. I can't ask any more from them.
— PETE HALD, FPC girls soccer coach
“We accomplished a lot,” Hald said. “I think we checked all the boxes. We were hoping for some more, obviously, and it would have been nice if we got to play somebody different, but we put in a great performance. I can't ask any more from them.”
Seabreeze’s girls took a 1-0 lead with about 15 minutes left in the game, coach Eli Freidus said. A pair of sophomores teamed up on a set piece for the Sandcrabs. Ava Arnold scored off Hunter Byers’ cross from the left sideline. The home team tied it with less than six minutes left.
Seabreeze goalkeepr Kaia McFarland made a lot of big saves during the game, Freidus said.
“She was a big reason it was a close game. And our defense played well most of the game,” he said.
The Seabreeze girls (9-8-1) have made the playoffs six years in a row. They reached the regional final in 2023 and 2024.
“Injuries derailed us this year,” Freidus said.
Senior striker Liv Chase, who scored 26 of the Sandcrabs’ 58 goals this season, missed five games with a leg inury.
“She toughed her way (back) starting with districts,” Freidus said.
With just two senior starters, most of the team will be returning next year.
In the boys game, Innovation broke a scoreless tie late on a set piece.
“One of their players came from behind; we weren’t expecting that,” Perez said. “We were marking everybody.”
The Seabreeze boys finished 7-9-5 but finished the season with three wins and a tie in their final five games, including a 1-0 upset of Region 2-5A top seed New Smyrna Beach to win the district championship.
“I think we’re on a good road for next year,” Perez said.
