Federal Way United Soccer Association captured its first – and second – national soccer titles this past week as two local girls soccer teams triumphed at the US National Cup finals in Virginia Beach. The Reign ’93 Purple won the Under-14 Super Group championship while the Reign ’94 Purple won the title in the Under-13 Super Group. Based on their performances, GotSoccer.com, which ranks youth soccer teams, currently ranks the ’93 Reign Purple as the 2nd best U14 team in Washington and the 20th best in the country. The website rates the ’94 Reign Purple as the best team in Washington in its age group and the 25th best in the country.
The US National Cup is a prestigious and highly competitive national tournament sponsored by US Club Soccer. The tournament started with 8 regional qualifying tournaments in early July, involving teams from across the country. The Federal Way United soccer club was only one of two clubs at the tournament to field more than one national champion.
Both Federal Way teams began their journey on the 4th of July weekend, competing in the US Club Soccer Regional Championship in Boise, ID. Reign ’94 Purple won 5 straight games over teams from Minnesota, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington to secure the Super Group Regional Championship and earn the right to enter the National Cup in Virginia.
Ironically, Reign 93 Purple almost didn’t make it to the finals. Hampered by injuries during the previous season, the team’s poor 2007 record had tournament officials seeding the team in the lower “Premier Division,” which didn’t include a path to the finals.
That path opened up, however, as the girls dominated the opposition while winning the Premier Division Regional Championship – winning 4 straight, scoring 18 goals and only allowing 2 goals. Based on the strength of that performance, US Club Soccer officials promoted Reign ’93 to the Super Group and offered the team a chance to play in the National Finals. With little preparation, parents and coaches made the decision to send the team to Virginia - all 17 Reign players made the trip.
Two key "players" in making the trip successful were Team Manager Lisa Ziccarell, who organized travel plans and a hundred other details and Treasurer Aline Carnahan, who worked out the financial details. The team also got crucial support from Federal Way United, making the trip possible.
The team started the tournament off right with a 1-0 win over Eastern FC of Connecticut. The game was tightly contested throughout, but the Reign ’93 scored the only goal they’d need in the first half. Midfielder Breanna Strauss sent a smart pass across the goal box, finding midfielder Kasey Carrel who struck a left-footed volley from 20 feet out for the winning score.
In the 2nd game, Reign ’93 met a physical, well organized FC Fort Worth team. The Texans put the Federal Way girls down a goal in the first half. Federal Way striker Hannah Friedman tied the game in the 2nd half after midfielder Chelsa Jensen served up a free kick into the goal area. Friedman’s strike partner, Madison Hibbard looked to have secured the win with 8 minutes left, but her goal was ruled to be offside and the game finished a 1-1 draw.
With a win and a tie, everything came down to Monday’s final qualifier game against a fast, attacking Rush Nike team from Michigan. The Reign fell behind two goals in the first half, but they hadn’t traveled across the country to leave empty-handed. As the Federal Way girls started the 2nd half it was a matter of when not if they’d score.
Chelsa Jensen again helped spark the team, making a mazy run through the Michigan defense before firing a laser shot into the back of the net to bring the Reign within a goal of Michigan. After a foul outside the Michigan box, Jensen delivered a free kick into a swarm of purple jerseys near the Michigan goal. Defender Obia Muoneke got enough of the ball to knock it across the line for the equalizer.
The 2-2 draw gave the Reign ’93 a crucial point in the standings, moving them ahead of fellow Washington team Dosveedanya and into the finals Tuesday against New Jersey state Finalists, Wall SC Wombats, who had been National Cup Finalists two years running.
The championship game proved to be every bit as tough as the preceding three games of the tournament. In the pre-game talk, Coach Cecil warned the girls not to fall behind early, as they had in the previous 2 games. Old habits are hard to break, though, as the Wombats took the Reign by surprise, launching a ball into the Purple goal in the first minute for a 1-0 lead.
But the Reign were used to mounting comebacks and got right back into the game. Forward Hannah Friedman’s hard work in the box drew a foul and a penalty kick. Coach Cecil assigned the shooting duties to Kasey Carrel who calmly tucked the ball away for the equalizer. Several good opportunities came and went on both sides and the teams entered the half level at 1-1.
The scoreline changed early in the 2nd half, when Madison Hibbard beat the Wombat defense to a corner kick, heading the ball past the keeper at the near post for a 2-1 Reign lead. Goalkeeper Breanna Zicarelli and the Reign defense preserved the score during a nervy finish that saw the Wall team press hard for a goal.
Coach Cecil believes that his team's depth was a difference maker. With 17 players who can all start at their positions, he was able to rotate players in frequently, keeping players fresh and strong
Although Coach Cecil cautions his team not to give up early goals, the girls three straight come from behind performances defines the character of his team. “They live on their will to win,” said the former Federal Way United Storm player. “In each game, they refused to surrender their goal of being national champions.”
