BY ANDRE FERNANDEZ UPDATED FEBRUARY 10, 2024 9:52 AM BILL DALEY Special to the Miami Herald
Dadie-Love Cherenfant never had a doubt.
Even after a frustrating end to regulation. Even after two scoreless overtime periods. Even after she and her Edison girls’ soccer teammates had battled Ransom Everglades to a stalemate after taking six penalty kicks each.
Cherenfant and the Red Raiders refuse to lose.
And that’s why Cherenfant was fully confident when she dove to her left and smothered a shot from Ransom’s Andrea Paniagua to secure Edison its first ever trip to a regional final following a 5-4 shootout victory over the Raiders in a Region 4-3A semifinal on their home field.
“That was a tough game, but we believed in ourselves and we did it,” Cherenfant said. “We had a lot of emotions, but we did it. We’ve done a lot of training and because we haven’t lost a game, that’s even more of a motivator.”
Edison (16-0) is having a dream season.
Most of its players play for the non-profit club Little Haiti FC and have gelled into one of the best squads in the state.
Edison’s Shnidine Marcialus battles for possession with Ransom defenders during Friday’s Region 4-3A girls’ soccer semifinal victory at Miami Edison. Bill Daley Special to the Miami Herald The Red Raiders had never won a GMAC championship, or a regional playoff game before this season and had advanced to regionals only once in 1990.
Friday’s win, which came after a grueling two-and-a-half hour match following a 2-2 tie through regulation, extended Edison’s breakthrough campaign to at least next Wednesday when it will travel to Davie to face NSU University School with a chance to advance to the state final four for the first time. The Sharks are the top seed in the region and were state runners-up last season.
“I’ve been fighting for this for 22 years,” said longtime Edison coach Wilnord Emile and Red Raiders’ alum who played soccer at the school. “I had the girls team and we were never good. But this year this group from ninth grade to seniors are finally getting through. It’s been amazing.
“I prayed to God a lot and we want to make history at Miami Edison for the first time.”
Edison, which rallied from a one-goal deficit to beat Somerset South Homestead in the previous round, found itself unable to hang on to a pair of one-goal leads against Ransom. With only seconds left in regulation, Ransom’s Sofi Rua gained possession and dribbled toward the goal, firing a shot past Cherenfant to even the game at 2.
But the Raiders (12-5-2) missed a pair of shots in the shootout round, leaving things even at 3 through the first five attempts for each squad. Each team made their sixth shot before Cherenfant made the winning play in goal.
“I’m so happy right now, I can’t even describe it,” said Cherenfant, who has also played as an attacking midfielder this season for the Red Raiders.
Edison’s Shnidine Marcialus battles for possession with a pair of Ransom defenders during Friday’s Region 4-3A girls’ soccer semifinal victory at Miami Edison.
Cherenfant, Francesca Doreus, Dyolanda Cesar, Antsy-Love Houanche and Ketchmay Michel each converted penalty kicks for Edison.
Houanche broke a scoreless tie three minutes into the second half to put Edison ahead 1-0. But Ransom evened things up 10 minutes later on a goal by forward Johanna James. Shnidine Marcialus put the Red Raiders back ahead in the 70th minute on an assist from Pierre-Line Senat.
“We always tell them to stay calm,” Emile said. “We know how it is when you play these types of games, they’re just excited. We just made it through.”
This story was originally published February 9, 2024, 10:36 PM. ANDRE C. FERNANDEZ is the Deputy Sports Editor of the Miami Herald and has covered a wide varyety of sports during his carreer includingthe Miami Marlins, Miami Heat and the Miami Dolphins, University of Miami Athletic, and high school sports