Ransom Everglades' girls' soccer team capped a thrilling ride through the district playoffs with a hard-fought 1-0 victory against Carrollton School of the Sacred Heart in the Class 3A District 15 championship on Feb. 1. Sofia Rua '24 scored the game-winning goal on an assist by Stella Colombo '26 in the second half as goalkeeper Juju Perez Rivera '24 fended off late pressure to secure the victory. Raiders' fans had been holding their breath since the district semifinal a few days earlier; RE won that game against Westminster Christian in overtime thanks to Perez Rivera, who saved the 2-1 victory by stopping three of four penalty kicks.
With the victory, the Raiders (11-4-2) entered the regional playoffs with momentum. Throughout their season, they relied offensively on Rua, who scored 11 times – never missing a shot on goal – and teammates Johanna James '26 (16 goals and 8 assists), Stella Colombo '26 (12 goals and 11 assists) and Olivia Geller '26 (5 goals, 11 assists and 21 steals).
Andrea Paniagua '24 frustrated opponents with 71 steals, and as did Kenzie Connell '26 with 45 steals. Avery Almazan '26 (31 steals), Anna Lavernia '25 (25 steals) and Casey Manno '25 (22 steals) also contributed defensively. Seniors Perez, Paniagaua, Rua and Carolina Font '24, Mackenzie Buckner '24 and Isabel Chong '24 anchored the team.
Antonio Boada coached the Raiders with assistance from faculty members Joseph Marin and Emerson Fales '86.
Founded in 1903, Ransom Everglades School is a coeducational, college preparatory day school for grades 6 - 12 located on two campuses in Coconut Grove, Florida. Ransom Everglades School produces graduates who "believe that they are in the world not so much for what they can get out of it as for what they can put into it." The school provides rigorous college preparation that promotes the student's sense of identity, community, personal integrity and values for a productive and satisfying life, and prepares the student to lead and to contribute to society.