Reign ‘93 Purple, Federal Way’s premier under-17 girls soccer team, capped a successful summer tournament season by winning the Rimland Pacific Cup tournament championship Aug. 15.
The team cruised through qualifying with a 3-1 opening win and consecutive 4-0 victories before having to play two challenging matches to earn the title.
In the semifinal, Reign raced off to a 2-0 lead over WPFC White of Puyallup, but couldn’t hold the lead and finished regulation and ten minutes of overtime with a 2-2 tie. The local team advanced to the finals after prevailing 4-3 in an exciting penalty kick shootout, concluded by Reign keeper Priscilla Yu’s quick-handed save.
In the championship game, Reign ‘93 squared off against Yakima’s Three Rivers Velocity. The match was tight and hard-fought for 70 minutes of regulation. The Federal Way girls had a slightly stronger edge in possession, but could only create two clear chances: One that was stopped by the Three Rivers goalie and another shot close to goal that sailed over the crossbar.
The Yakima team created its own pressure, but the Reign defense held firm. Reign staked its claim three minutes into the overtime as midfielder Autumn Talney (Beamer High School) re-directed a Yakima clearance to striker Ashley Graves (Decatur) who made a quick turn in the box to lose her marker and quickly slotted the ball past the Yakima goalkeeper.
Yakima threw more players forward during the last seven minutes in an attempt to tie the game, but the Reign defense refused to yield a goal, and emerged 1-0 winners and tournament champions.
The team is playing its best soccer since 2008 when Reign ‘93 won the U14 National Club Soccer championship. Over the course of two California tournaments and Rimland this summer, Reign ‘93 was undefeated, winning 10 matches and drawing two.
This is good news for Federal Way high schools as eight Reign players will play for Thomas Jefferson, Decatur and Todd Beamer high schools in the upcoming fall season. Reign’s outstanding results led to an invitation to play in the elite Nomads tournament in San Diego over the Thanksgiving weekend, where they will play some of the nation’s best U17 girls teams.
Reign ‘93 Purple includes Kasey Carrel, Nicolette Carnahan, Chelsa Jensen, Madison Hibbard, Madison Cecil, Autumn Talney, Danielle Robinson, Sydney Rogalla, Priscilla Yu, Sarah Wachowitz, Analise Rutt, Ashley Graves, Obianaju Muoneke, Callison Hunter, Breanna Strauss and Jaden Hart. The team is coached by James Cecil, who was assisted at Rimland by Michael Tollan.
