Maya Fitch, a senior with the Vicenza Cougars, attempts to break past defenders from the Black Forest Academy Falcons during the semifinals of the 2025 Division II DODEA European championships at Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany on May 21, 2025. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

REICHENBACH-STEEGEN, Germany – Redemption was the name of the game Wednesday as Black Forest Academy stunned Vicenza in a 3-0 semifinal upset at the DODEA European Division II girls soccer championships.

As a result, BFA will meet defending champion Naples in Thursday’s championship at Ramstein Air Base.

The heavily favored Cougars entered their match expecting a repeat of last year’s success. But an early defensive misstep handed the Falcons the momentum — and they never let it go.

“Five years in a row we lose to this team, so we were ready to not lose another year,” Falcons coach Jack Wilson said.

Both teams opened the match cautiously, struggling to settle into a rhythm as nerves played out on the pitch. But as the tempo increased, so did the pressure.

A hard collision early in the first half on Falcons senior India Atchley earned BFA a free kick just outside Vicenza’s 18-yard box.

Sophomore Esther Lee stepped up and delivered a sharp ball into the box. In an attempt to clear it, the Cougars accidentally redirected the ball into their own net, resulting in an own goal and gifting the Falcons the lead.

The Cougars never fully recovered. The Falcons controlled the pace into halftime, while Vicenza struggled to respond.

Avonlea Sparling, a senior with the Vicenza Cougars takes a free kick during a match against the Black Forest Academy Falcons in the semifinals of the 2025 Division II DODEA European championships at Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany on May 21, 2025. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

The Black Forest Academy Falcons celebrate their 3-0 win against the Vicenza Cougars in a surprising upset that gives them a seat at the finals during the 2025 Division II DODEA European championships at Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany on May 21, 2025. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Sonja Gottlieb, a sophomore with the Naples Wildcats, runs with the ball during the semifinals of the 2025 girls soccer Division II DODEA European championships at Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany on May 21, 2025. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Emma Montoya, a junior with the Rota Admirals, goes to kick the ball in a match against the Naples Wildcats during the semifinals of the 2025 Division II girls soccer DODEA European championships at Reichenbach-Steegen, Germany on May 21, 2025. (Lydia Gordon/Stars and Stripes)

Freshman Lily Cox, dubbed the “Patriot Missile” by her coach and teammates, locked onto Vicenza’s offensive powerhouse Maya Fitch and successfully neutralized her scoring threat — no small feat against a striker who had notched two tournament hat-tricks heading into the match.

“I guess I wasn’t worried that they were going to beat us again,” Cox said. “I was just ready to prove them wrong and to help our seniors. Let them have a good year.”

To reinforce the backline, the Falcons shifted Lee into defense, expanding their formation to five sweepers. The adjustment proved crucial — Vicenza couldn’t break through.

A second goal deepened the Falcons’ lead, pushing the Cougars further from finals contention. Then, in the closing seconds, Falcons’ Micah Gable sealed the win with a third goal, igniting celebrations from their bench.

Following BFA’s stunning win, the reigning champion Naples Wildcats took the field against the Rota Admirals, aiming to reaffirm their dominance and punch yet another ticket to the finals.

From the opening whistle, Wildcats captain Emerson Shorey showed exactly why she wears the armband, leading by example with a commanding performance that saw her net all five goals in Naples’ 5-1 rout of the Admirals.

“Prior to the game, I can’t lie, I was really nervous,” Shorey said. “But this is my last year because I’m graduating early to go play soccer in Spain … so I used that as a power to get on the field.”

Rota’s attack, led by the dynamic duo of Jourdan Timmons and Emma Montoya, consistently tested the Wildcats’ back line. With right-wing forward Julianna Vollmer delivering sharp crosses, the Admirals created several promising chances.

Despite the relentless pressure, Rota was only able to find the net once in the second half. Its efforts were repeatedly stifled by Naples sophomore Abigail Klimis, who stepped up in a big way. After three close-range shots slipped past the goalkeeper, the diminutive Klimis made clutch stops on the line to keep the ball out of the net.

“The last game, I didn’t do pretty good,” Klimis said. “So this game I was thinking I need to show up, I need to step up and be there for the goalie.”

Naples’ success throughout the tournament stemmed largely from their dominance in one-on-one challenges, consistently winning possession and setting the pace of the game.

By the final whistle, the Wildcats were celebrating a commanding victory and turning their focus to Thursday’s showdown.

Falcons coach Jack Wilson praised his team’s ability to shut down Vicenza’s offense in the semifinals and hinted at a similar approach heading into the final.

He emphasized the importance of a dynamic, shifting formation to disrupt Naples’ rhythm and give the Falcons a fighting chance at the title.

“We’ve played Naples (before) … so we know exactly what we have to do to win,” Wilson said.