Apopka’s girls soccer season came to an end Tuesday night against one of the nation’s elite programs, but the Blue Darters walked off the field with their heads high after a gritty performance in the Class 7A District 3 semifinal against Lake Mary. 

Facing the sixth-ranked team in the country, Apopka entered the match with a clear plan: defend deep, limit chances and hope to strike on the counter. Head coach Tino Sangster deployed a 5-4-1 formation, emphasizing discipline and mental toughness against a Rams squad that had mercy-ruled the Blue Darters in the first half of their previous meeting. 

“I am stoked. I am super happy with the way we came with the game plan,” Sangster said. “We knew we weren’t going to have a lot of possession of the ball, so we co-created a plan. A 5-4-1 to try and frustrate them, to be a block in front of them. And the girls came out and fought hard.”

That defensive resolve was tested almost immediately. After Apopka cleared several early balls, Lake Mary struck in the fourth minute when a corner kick and cross into the box deflected off a Blue Darter defender and into the net for the opening goal. 

Lake Mary continued to control possession, but Apopka limited clean looks at goal. The Rams eventually broke through again in the 18th minute with a shot before the water break, making it 2-0 despite Apopka’s compact defensive shape. 

After the break, the Blue Darters began to find small moments of possession and attempted to connect on forward runs, but Lake Mary’s back line held firm. For a stretch of nearly 12 minutes, Apopka allowed only one shot on goal, which goalkeeper Nicole Garcia saved. 

Late in the half, Lake Mary’s pressure paid off again. A long shot caught the corner of the net with six minutes left, and another deep shot just before halftime pushed the Rams’ lead to 4-0.

In the second half, Apopka showed even more resilience. With usual attacking players Nevaeh Nguyen and Robyn Pickard anchoring the back line, the Blue Darters blocked shots and disrupted passing lanes. Garcia continued to play her best in goal, making a key save in the 58th minute. 

Apopka even generated a few rare opportunities forward. The Blue Darters nearly connected on a through ball inside Lake Mary’s half, and later tried to spring Jillian Kurz up the field, but the Rams goalkeeper, who was 30 yards out of net, intercepted both chances. 

Apopka held Lake Mary scoreless for much of the second half until the Rams broke through again near the water break to make it 5-0. A final rebound goal in the 77th minute closed the scoring at 6-0. 

Despite the margin, Sangster viewed the performance as a major step forward compared to last season. 

“Last year, halftime, we were home already,” he said. “By measuring tonight’s game, I thought it was a success tonight by not getting mercied. The girls showed character, they showed grit, and they fought hard. They didn’t give up. That’s the biggest thing for me as a coach.” 

Senior captain and leading scorer Robyn Pickard, who finished the season with 14 goals, played her final game on the back line. For her, the night was about more than the scoreboard. 

“I had a lot of fun,” Pickard said. “The most important part was just playing with my girls and just having a good time. Obviously, no one likes to lose, but as long as we had fun, that was really our main goal.” 

Pickard hopes soccer will remain part of her future. 

“I hope to keep soccer part of my life, whether that’s college or club,” she said. “It’s a very important part of my life, so I hope to keep strong ties with it.” 

Sangster reflected proudly on the season as a whole, which included a five-game winning streak and a playoff run. 

“I thought the girls started a little shaky, but that rough patch propelled us forward,” he said. “We picked up momentum.” 

The semifinal loss also marked the final match for Sangster as head coach of Apopka girls soccer. He recently earned his B coaching license and plans to advance his career at the collegiate or professional level. 

Although the team did not send off Sangster with a win, it delivered a performance defined by effort, unity and growth against one of the best teams in the country.  

“I’m super proud of what the girls did every day — coming out, playing hard, not quitting and not giving up.”