This past weekend saw our five teams on the girl’s side compete in the DPL Showcase in Palm Beach, Florida.

Our 2004 State Navy squad took on Florida locals, ASPSC Pinecrest Premier in their tournament opener. Our girls started off strong, scoring an early goal to put them on the front foot. The first half was evenly contested, with both teams moving the ball around well and creating several goalscoring opportunities. The hosts equalized shortly before halftime, putting the pressure back on our girls for the remaining 45 minutes. Briar Grady scored the game winner midway through the second half to give our girls 3 points in their tournament opener. Their second matchup proved to be frustrating, as they drew Liverpool International Academy 1-1, after clearly dominating the game from the first minute. Their lack of efficiency in front of goal proved to be costly, as they only came away with one point. Their final matchup saw them face a very physical Hoover Vestavia squad out of Alabama. Our girls in blue were not intimidated, however, dominating possession of the ball and constantly threatening the opponent’s backline. Surf managed to put three goals past them, cruising to a 3-0 win to close out their tournament as winners of the group. Coach Luke Rothero stated, “I thought the girls put out three great performances throughout the weekend, showing plenty of chemistry and desire to win. Although we fell short one game, I thought the tournament was a great way to kickoff the new year.”

Our 2006 Navy team also went undefeated in Florida, with Colorado Rush being their first opponent. Our girls dominated the game from the opening kickoff, creating numerous scoring opportunities against a team that defended deep in their own half. The breakthrough came halfway through the second half, when Emma Darling found the back of the net after a beautiful counterattack, ultimately resulting in a 1-0 victory to kickoff the weekend. The 06 Navy squad took on Sunrise Sting in their second game, which proved to be an extremely close contest. Our girls in blue started off strong, scoring an early goal to take the lead. The second half saw Surf defending for long phases of the game, holding off an extremely talented Sting team. This proved to be effective, as our girls ultimately came away with their second 1-0 win of the tournament. Their last game saw Surf take on Inter Atlanta FC in yet another close contest. Both teams looked to play an attractive brand of soccer and were very evenly matched throughout the 90 minutes. It wasn’t until the 84th minute, when Emma Darling displayed a fantastic piece of individual talent to secure three points for Surf and remain undefeated in the tournament. 06 Navy midfielder, Paige Barnett, said “It was really fun getting to play against high level teams this weekend. Our team was able to build team chemistry on and off the field. As the weekend progressed, our team worked together to compete at a higher level to match our competitors. It was such a great opportunity for our team to grow, and we look forward to more experiences that will aid us in our growth as a team.”

2007 Navy had a terrific start to their tournament, putting five goals past a very strong Southlakes SC Oklahoma Cosmos side. The girls were flying from the start, displaying energy and intensity on both sides of the ball. The girls quickly gelled together and played with so much passion, ultimately resulting in a 5-0 win to kickoff their tournament. Their second game proved to be a lot more challenging, facing a Sunrise Sting team that are Florida State Champions and Regional Finalists. Our girls struggled to compete in the opening minutes, quickly conceding two goals in the first half. Momentum started to change, however, as our girls were able to put one past the opponent’s keeper and put some pressure on Sting. 07 Navy didn’t hold back in the second half, creating several chances and scoring a goal that was unfortunately disallowed. Their efforts fell short, as they failed to find the back of the net again, resulting in a 2-1 loss. Their final matchup saw them take on Triangle United, who looked to defend deep in their own half and play on the counter. This proved to be an effective strategy for our opponents, as our girls struggled to find a way through their low block, ultimately resulting in a 0-0 draw to close out their weekend. “Overall it was a very positive weekend for our girls, who managed to be competitive in all three games against some of the best teams in the country”, said Coach Darren Gallagher.

Our 2008 Sky squad’s opening game was against a very strong Louisiana TDP side. The girls were flying from the first whistle, taking the lead midway through first half, and creating several other dangerous opportunities. The second half was a different story, with our girls quickly conceding two goals and finding themselves chasing the game. This didn’t discourage them, however, as Surf continued to put pressure on their opponents’ backline and creating numerous goal scoring opportunities. Their lack of efficiency in front of goal proved to be costly, as the game ended in a 2-1 loss for our girls in blue. 08 Sky’s second match saw them take on Roswell Santos SC out of Georgia. Surf got off to another strong start, finding the back of the net 15 minutes into the first half, with countless opportunities to score a second. These missed chances proved to fatal, as our girls conceded a goal in the last minute of the game to fall short of their first win of the weekend. Their third and final game of the tournament got off to a slow start, trailing the Cape Coral Cyclones 2-0 at halftime. Our girls in blue didn’t let the score discourage them and came out flying in the second half and quickly put two past their opponents to tie the game up. It was then a battle between two very evenly matched teams, to see who put one more ball in the back of the net. It was Cape Coral, unfortunately, who eventually broke through and ultimately won the game 4-2. Coach Jonny Bonner stated, “I am very proud of how the girls competed in Florida. The results didn’t accurately reflect the quality that we displayed, and the girls were able to fight through the warm weather and leave it all on the field.”

Overall, our Surf teams had an extremely successful weekend in Palm Beach, displaying a brand of soccer that is consistent with the New England Surf style of play. Congratulations to all of our players and coaches who competed this past weekend!