CFCC women’s soccer heads to Florida with national tournament berth on the line
WILMINGTON, NC (WWAY) — The Cape Fear Community College women’s soccer team is heading to Florida with its sights set on a return to the national tournament for the first time since 2023. The Sea Devils are coming off a postseason victory over Richard Bland College, keeping their season alive and moving one step closer to competing on the national stage.
Goalkeeper Jaime Maguire said the stakes of postseason soccer bring a mix of emotions.
“To go into a game like this knowing that your season could end, it’s like different types of feelings,” Maguire said. “It’s pressure, it’s excitement, it’s nervousness. It’s so many different things, but at the end of the day, you’re just excited. You’re just excited to play the sport you’ve been playing your whole life.”
Maguire said the team’s victory over Richard Bland was especially memorable because of the bond the players have developed throughout the season.
“I knew they were gonna come in hard, and they did, but we played through it,” Maguire said. “The feeling after that game, after the first goal that was scored, it was like the best feeling ever, especially with these girls.”
Cape Fear has not lost a Region 10 game since 2022, and the Sea Devils are hoping to carry that success into their upcoming postseason matchups.
Among those preparing for the trip is defender Avery LaBrecque, a former Hoggard High School soccer player who is returning to the field after a minor injury.
LaBrecque said she believes the team has the talent and determination needed to compete for a national tournament berth.
“I think we’re gonna be mentally ready. I’m just excited to go to Florida,” LaBrecque said. “We have such a special group of girls, and very talented, every single one of us. We have subs if we need them, and we all have the urge to fight to go to nationals.”
The opportunity carries special meaning for LaBrecque, who hopes this year’s team can accomplish something the program has not done in several seasons.
“We want to win, and we’re confident that we can win, and we have a great team,” LaBrecque said. “If we go to nationals, it will be the first time in a while, and so I just really hope this is the team that gets to go and we just all get to experience it together.”
The Sea Devils will face host Pensacola State College on Friday, Oct. 30, at 5 p.m. A victory would send Cape Fear to Saturday’s South District championship game, where a spot in the NJCAA Division II Women’s Soccer National Tournament will be on the line.
