With a perfect 4-for-4 run at the NL P.R.O. Oceanside event in May, FIERCE's 09G NL team secured their spot for the ultimate stage in the National League: the USYS National Championships.
After winning their respective Regionals or NL P.R.O. events, the top 16 teams in the nation traveled to Orlando, Florida to earn the title of National Champion. The format broke the teams into 4 brackets with only the top team in each moving on to the Semifinals.
Group play opened on July 23rd, with FIERCE playing NJ Nationals FC 2009 Girls Elite. A gritty battle in the midfield by Avery Cubbage kickstarted the attack, and a streaking run by Abby Vidrine allowed her to beat a charging keeper to the ball and slot it home. An unlucky handball call in the box allowed NJ Nationals to even the score, ending the game in a 1-1 draw. The next day, FIERCE 09G NL shone bright with a 4-0 victory over WNY Flash Rochester 09G. A balanced offense led to four different players on the scoreboard: Teya Marquez, Kate Horvath, Nova Follette, and Hazelee VanHouten.
With a tie and a win under their belt, FIERCE 09G NL now had to face their toughest opponent: MIFC 2009 NL. The Florida team entered Nationals after winning Southern Regionals in a dominant fashion, outscoring their opponents 25-3. All over the field, FIERCE demonstrated a defensive masterclass against a strong offensive side. Late into the second half, MIFC broke the stalemate. In the final minute of regulation, FIERCE responded. A dangerous cross from Teya Marquez was tipped off the crossbar by the keeper and fell at the feet of Nova Follette on the 6, who made no mistake rocketing it past the keeper. After a thrilling match of back and forth, the game ended 1-1.
Despite going undefeated in bracket play, the final results were not enough for the team to advance to the Nationals Semifinals. Even though their Nationals run ended there, FIERCE 09G NL boasts an impressive 10 game undefeated streak against the top talent in the nation. This team demonstrated at Nationals that it can perform on the biggest stage, and FIERCE cannot wait to see them meet the challenge again in the 24-25 season!