Sporting Blue Valley 13U girls soccer team reaches national tournament in Texas
For any team in youth soccer, there’s an agenda at the beginning of the season: Win the state cup, compete in the regional and advance to the national tournament.
Sporting Blue Valley’s 13U girls team had the agenda and completed it to perfection. Led by coach Steven Davies, Sporting BV of Overland Park won the Kansas State Cup and the U.S. Youth Soccer Midwest Region II Championships in South Dakota, advancing to the national tournament at the end of July in Frisco, Texas.
“This is the pinnacle for youth soccer, and it’s such an amazing achievement for the girls,” Davies said. “I couldn’t be more proud or pleased with the success we’ve had this year.”
The girls, who have been practicing three times per week, competed in over 60 games this season to prepare them for the postseason run. Following their victory in the Kansas State Cup, Sporting BV represented Kansas at regionals.
“We just wanted to go up there and represent ourselves well,” Davies said. “Every game, we grow more and more confident with ourselves.”
In the region championship game, Sporting BV beat CUP 04 Gold from the Ohio South Region 1-0.
The two sides were scoreless though the first 45 minutes, but Sporting BV’s Kenzie Hammontree found an open Mia Yang, who scored the eventual game-winning goal.
“This is such a great group of girls, who are very talented and hard working,” Davies said. “Their enthusiasm and love for the game is amazing.”
With their ultimate goal of playing in the national tournament just weeks away, Davies, who is coaching the 13U team for the first time, said this experience is a stepping stone for future soccer experiences for the girls on the team.
Starting July 24, Sporting BV will play in a round-robin tournament with the 13U winners of the other three regions. The top two seeds in round-robin play will play for the national championship.
“Whether we win or lose, it’s been an incredible experience,” Davies said. “We just want to leave everything on the field.”
This story was originally published July 6, 2017 at 4:50 PM with the headline "Sporting Blue Valley 13U girls soccer team reaches national tournament in Texas."