Middleton, Fla.— Entering his final regular-season game as a member of The Villages High School boys soccer team, Michael Florian knew Thursday night would be special.

"I knew before the game that I had a chance to do something," he said. "It's the last regular-season game of my high school career and I had to seize it."

The senior striker accomplished his mission, scoring twice for the Buffalo (9-3) in their regular-season finale, a 4-0 win over Belleview (8-3-2) at The Range at H.G. Morse Stadium in Middleton.

"We had two main objectives: to win and to win with a clean sheet," head coach Anderson DaSilva said. "This victory was amazing."

The two teams appeared equally matched for most of the first half, but Florian managed to curl a shot around center back Aiden Kaczmarski, his club teammate at Brave SC, for the opening goal.

"It was fun," Florian said of the 80-minute battle. "Knowing him and him knowing me and our competitive nature, we always want to win… and we were fighting 100%, going 100 miles per hour at each other."

That goal advantage was a huge comfort to the Buffalo after a tight half.

"I was just relieved, honestly," senior Luke Weber said. "I'd been running up and down the field and we'd had so many chances, so I was just glad we got that and the momentum just came with it."

After halftime, The Villages assumed total control. Junior Joel Hernandez buried a penalty kick after a Belleview handball in the box, and Florian notched his second of the night, cleaning up a rebound from a Dylan Leonor shot for his 25th tally of the season. Then, Jaceson Globig streaked up the middle of the field, going box-to-box for the final goal with 31 seconds remaining.

The victory was the Buffalo's third in a row and their third consecutive shutout.

"We're defending with a lot more players, which is why the last three games have been clean sheets," DaSilva said. "That makes me feel good going into playoffs."

The Buffalo also honored three members of the class of 2024 Thursday — Christian Casey, Florian and Weber — on their senior night. The group amassed a four-year record of 46-13-5 and won three consecutive district titles.

"It's everything, honestly," Weber said of playing soccer for VHS. "To be able to play with these guys has been some of the best memories I've ever had in high school."

The Villages will next compete in the Class 4A-District 5 tournament hosted at The Range. While the Buffalo are eager to add another district plaque to their trophy case, their goals lie beyond the district rounds.

"We're really gaining momentum into the postseason," Weber said. "We want to finish districts strong and go on to regionals and go as far as possible."

 

Eagles Best Buffalo Girls In Finale

The Villages High School girls soccer team lost its final game of the regular season, falling to visiting Springstead (Spring Hill) 4-2 Thursday night.

The first half ended in a 2-2 knot after eighth-grader Violet Dougherty and junior Kianna Burgos answered scores from Florida's scoring leader, Ava Kanaar, and Lauren Anderson. In the second half, however, the Eagles pulled away as Anderson completed a hat trick to close out the match.

With the loss, the Buffalo dropped to 7-4 and will look ahead to hosting the Class 4A-District 5 tournament beginning next week.



Drew Chaltry can be reached for questions or comment by calling (352) 259-6890.