St. Thomas Aquinas' Sophie Barnes is the Broward 7A-5A Girls' Soccer Player of the Year
But Barnes hadn't completely settled in at that point.
Her sophomore season served as a true breakthrough for someone who became one of Broward County's most dominant players.
Barnes' efforts were at the forefront of St. Thomas Aquinas' march to the Class 6A state championship game while attaining at top 10 national ranking.
And so, Barnes is the Miami Herald's Broward County Class 7A-5A Girls' Soccer Player of the Year.
Barnes, a forward, scored 23 goals and recorded 10 assists this season.
As part of one of the more talented squads in the country, Barnes nearly led the Raiders to a 16th state championship and first since 2017, which would have added to their state-leading total.
A stunning 4-3 loss in overtime to Orange Park St. Johns Bartram Trail denied Aquinas this season.
But Barnes is part of a core of starters that should be able to regroup for another attempt next season.
'We fell short at the final, but the entire year up to then we dominated and only lost one match,' Barnes said. 'We always worked hard to make it to that state game. We were unlucky, but we played our best. It took a lot because we had to build our chemistry and once we did we looked good and came out with those big wins.'
Barnes, who was already a talented scorer and passer entering the season, said she became a more effective striker this season after developing more familiarity and on-field chemistry with her teammates in the midfield.
'Last year, I joined in the middle of the season, but this season I clicked more with my midfielders and finished my chances much better,' Barnes said.
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