Just one week remains before the Christmas break for Escambia and Santa Rosa counties.
That means we’re just about at the midway point for the Florida High School Athletic Association girls soccer season. District tournaments are a little more than a month away. Girls soccer district tournaments are slated to begin Jan. 22 and go through Jan. 30.
Regionals will be scattered throughout February depending on the classification, followed by the state tournament from Feb. 25 to March 1 with the title game being at Spec Martin Stadium in DeLand.
Several soccer players have stood out and become early frontrunners for the 2024 PNJ Girls Soccer Player of the Year. These athletes have been selected by the PNJ Sports Staff, and there is no guarantee of earning the award at the end of the season. Note: Candidates on the poll are listed in alphabetical order by school.
This is where fans come in: Who’s the leading MVP candidate for girls soccer from Escambia and Santa Rosa counties? Be sure to vote below. The poll will be open until next Tuesday (Dec. 24) at 12 p.m.
Note: Is your team or stats missing? Be sure to file statistics with the PNJ sports staff or keep your MaxPreps page up to date. All times listed below are from submitted results.
Morgan Stancliff, Escambia: After making her second transition from football season to soccer season, where Morgan Stancliff is also one of the kickers on the Gators’ football team, she hasn’t missed a beat entering the winter. Stancliff currently leads Escambia with 25 points on the year, including a team-high 10 goals and five assists. Just this past week alone, she had a pair of games where she recorded a hat trick and tallied two assists.
Aubrey McMillion, Gulf Breeze: Already exceeding last year’s win total, the Dolphins are off to a hot start with four shutouts on the year. Aubrey McMillion, a sophomore, has been in net for all of those games, as well. Through 10 games, she’s already recorded 42 saves, allowing 12 goals (average 1.3 per game) with a season-high seven saves in games against Pace and Montverde Academy.
Gabby Floyd, Milton: Gabby Floyd has burst onto the scene as a freshman for the Panthers, leading a younger Milton squad as it is, with 20 points on the year. She’s tallied seven goals and a team-leading six assists for the Panthers. Floyd posted a career game where she had two goals and three assists with seven shots on goal in a dominant, mercy-rule shutout over Crestview.
Cici Buffalino, Navarre: The defending PNJ Girls Soccer Player of the Year, Cici Buffalino is picking up right where she left off for the Raiders after a 19-goal, six-assist season last year. Buffalino leads Navarre, so far, with 10 goals and five assists (25 points), including scoring a pair of goals in a tight rivalry game against Pace where she was able to show off her speed to get by the Patriots’ defense.
Lily Rodriguez, Pensacola Catholic: Another goaltending showcase to start the 2024 season, Pensacola Catholic is off to a perfect start through Tuesday, sitting at 11-0. In the process, Lily Rodriguez has posted nine shutouts with 39 saves, allowing goals against just North Bay Haven, one of the top teams in Class 3A, and South Walton. On top of that, Rodriguez also got in on the offense, scoring a goal against Destin in a mercy-rule shutout.
Ella Frank, Tate: Here’s another freshman who has taken Northwest Florida by storm for the Aggies. Ella Frank currently leads Escambia and Santa Rosa counties with 45 points on the year, tallying an astounding 21 goals and three assists in eight games played (stats from the most recent game against Escambia haven’t been reported yet). Frank’s already had a few career games, including a six-goal, two-assist performance against Pine Forest, and a five-goal, one-assist showing over Pensacola.
