The Montverde Academy girls' soccer team defeated Lake Highland Prep School 2-1 in an intense championship game of the 2024 Florida High School Athletic Association (FHSAA) Class 3A District 5 championship at Dan Newlin Injury Attorneys Stadium on Tuesday evening.

The Eagles had the ball in the Lake Highland Prep zone for the majority of the first half but failed to score in the first forty minutes of play. The Highlanders also had several chances early on but failed to hit the back of the mesh.

After a scoreless tie at halftime, the Eagles got on the board six and a half minutes into the second half on a goal by Lola Rey.

The one goal lead lasted less than four minutes as Lake Highland Prep tied the score in the fifty-first minute.

MVA eventually got its game winning goal in the sixty-second minute on a long range blast by Estefania Gonzalez from about 25 yards out.

The Highlanders' best chance to tie the score came after taking a well-placed corner kick in the seventy-second minute. Lake Highland Prep took a close point blank shot from close range, but Eagles' goalkeeper Taylor Deaver, who made five saves in the win, made a lead preserving save in a key moment.

MVA played excellent defense, keeping the ball away from the net as the clock wound down to zero.

The win marks the second year in a row the MVA girls' soccer team has won the district since rejoining the FHSAA state series last year.

As a result of the win, MVA has earned an automatic qualifier into the 2024 FHSAA Regional tournament, and the Eagles will play in the quarterfinals on Tuesday February 6 against a team to be determined.