February 7, 2024
Mount Dora Girls Soccer Endures Heartbreaking 4-3 Loss Against The Villages in Triple Overtime
By Kyle Coppola
Mount Dora Girls Soccer Endures Heartbreaking 4-3 Loss Against The Villages in Triple Overtime
The Mount Dora Girls Soccer team’s remarkable season concluded in a FHSAA Regional Quarterfinals heartbreaker, a triple overtime thriller that will be remembered for its intensity and drama.
Entering the game with an impressive 15-2-2 record, the Lady Canes secured the #3 seed in the FHSAA Playoffs. However, due to The Villages winning their district tournament, Mount Dora had to travel to face the Buffalo, a decisive factor in the match’s outcome.
The Villages, led by Katherine Probola and assisted by Kianna Burgos, started the game strongly. Both teams proved to be evenly matched, with halftime seeing The Villages holding a narrow 1-0 lead. In the second half, Mount Dora, with their season on the line, fought back, and both teams managed to score, bringing the score to 2-1 in the final minutes. Despite the exceptional performances from Taylor Fugate, The Villages’ goalie, and Gianna DiMaggio on defense, Mount Dora miraculously tied the game at 2-2 with just 42 seconds left.
Overtime ensued, with both teams visibly exhausted. The first and second overtimes saw no additional goals, leading to the decisive final overtime – a penalty kick shootout. Senior goalie Taylor Fugate played a pivotal role in The Villages’ victory, making crucial stops to secure a 4-3 win. This victory propels The Villages into the Regional Semi-Finals, where they will face Satellite on Friday evening.
While Mount Dora’s season concluded with a 15-3-2 record, the Lady Canes have much to be proud of. Despite the heartbreaking loss, the team showcased resilience and determination. The future looks promising for the girls’ soccer program, with a roster of young players poised for development in the coming years.
As The Villages prepares for the Regional Semi-Finals against Satellite, we extend our best wishes to both teams. The Friday evening matchup promises to be another exciting chapter in the journey of high school girls’ soccer in the region.
Photo Credit – Joe Ott Photography “Fan Zone”
Kyle Coppola was born in Newton, Massachusetts and received his Bachelor of Fine Arts in Communications from Curry College in 2016. After traveling to Florida on a family vacation, he decided he could not get enough of the warm weather and made the move from snowy Massachusetts to central Florida 8 years ago.
For the last decade Kyle has gained valuable experience in social media content creation, marketing and sales, writing, video production, sports announcing and even broadcasting for local radio stations, such as FM 102.9 in The Villages and FM 91.5 in Massachusetts. Every year he volunteers at The Villages Charter High School as a play-by-play sports announcer for the football games as well as a public address announcer for the basketball games, including the annual Battle at The Villages Tournament.
Outside the office Kyle is a husband and father to two beautiful girls along with their cat. In his spare time he likes to spend time with his family, travel, play golf and swim. He is also a huge sports junkie and even bigger motorsports fan and loves to attend racing events when he can.
