Gators Orange '96: Welcome
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Congratulations to the 2013 U17 State Cup Champion Michigan Gators FC 96 Orange!
Michigan Gators FC ’96 Orange Recaptures State Cup Championship
The Michigan Gators FC ’96 Orange U-17 girls captured the coveted State Cup for a second straight year, defeating the Grand Rapids Crew Juniors Gold, 4-3, in the MSYSA Michigan State Cup Championship game on Oct. 27, at Ultimate Soccer Arena in Pontiac, Mich. The game was a tight affair, with both teams having plenty of scoring chances. The Crew capitalized early on, converting on a free kick just minutes into the game. The Gators rallied late in the first half to tie the score at 1-1. The second half saw the Gators go up 2-1 but with less than 4 minutes left, the Crew scored the tying goal, making it 2-2 going into overtime. Overtime was a seesaw battle with the Gators going up 3-2 and, a short time later, the Crew once again tying it 3-3. Like last year, Sarah T provided the game winning goal, with the Crew unable to tie the score as they had been able to do twice before. Goal scorers for the Gators were Jordan N (2), Franny W, and Sarah T. The Gators finished the 2013 Michigan State Cup Championship tournament with a 6-0 record. In preliminary matches, the Gators beat Grand Rapids Crew Juniors 96 Premier Black (10-2), Alliance FC (2-0) and PSG Michigan Gators 96 White (5-1). In the quarterfinals, the Gators defeated LCSC 96 Meteors, 6-0; and in the semifinals, the Gators beat Michigan Hawks 96 Black, 3-0. As State Cup Champs, the Gators will once again represent Michigan in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series, the country’s most prestigious national youth soccer tournament, in Des Moines, Iowa in June 2013.
Michigan Gators FC'96 Orange Capture Prestigious Disney Soccer Showcase Gold!
Recently, the Michigan Gators '96 Orange competed in the Prestigious Disney Soccer Showcase, capturing gold with an impressive 6-0 shutout in the final. The preliminary games were all very close, with the Gators topping teams from New Mexico, New Jersey and Georgia by scores of 1-0, 2-1, and 2-1 respectively. In the final, the Gators faced a team from Virginia. The girls scored early and often building a 4-0 lead by halftime. The second half saw more of the same, with the girls never letting up and continuing to play hard until the final whistle. The Gators were one of only three teams, out of the over 90 U17 teams who competed, to finish the Showcase undefeated. According to gotsoccer.com, the '96 Orange team is now ranked 22nd nationally, 2nd in Region 2 and 1st in Michigan.
GO GATORS!
