Century West U15 ladies soccer workforce delivers household countrywide championship
Heading into the 2021 US Youth Soccer’s President’s Cup Nationals in Des Moines, Iowa July 7-11, the Century West U15 girls’ soccer group experienced one mission in thoughts: winning the nationwide championship.
Safe to say mission attained for the 18 girls on the group based out of Moon Township, which claimed the gold medal in dominant manner, defeating groups from Ohio and Utah to get the 2021 USYS Presidents Cup.
Century West defeated League 30 Metasport FC of Utah 1- in the last Sunday, July 11 by a 1- score, capping off a strong operate to the finals that observed the U15 girls article 3 full shutdowns, winning by scores of 1- 3 occasions, while dropping just 1 activity in the entire event by a rating of 2-1 to South Orlando SC.
Head Coach Chris Lantzy, who has served as the girls’ head coach considering that U12, struggled to discover the words and phrases to describe what successful the countrywide championship with the team of women meant to him.
“I was just so delighted to see them get their reward for all their difficult get the job done,” Lantzy reported. “I told them prior to the tournament, ‘You observe, you have place the hard perform in now it is time to get your reward,’ and which is what they did.
“When that ultimate whistle sounded, I type of stood back and watched the ladies celebrate. They’re this kind of a fantastic bunch of young ones and it is amazing to see them get that reward for all the really hard get the job done it is actually hard to describe that feeling. I even mentioned to the girls following the activity that I generally have text to say, but I never have everything at this position. Which is why I desired to just sit back and watch them and soak in that instant.”
“All I could image in my head when the ultimate whistle blew was the celebration we had at the regional event two years back successful in penalties,” goalkeeper Serayah Leech explained. “We have been in awe then. This time, there ended up tears of pleasure successful not just a video game, but the countrywide championship and attaining a purpose we set out to execute. It’s just just one of individuals moments have been you sit back and glimpse at the method you experienced to go by to get right here. It’s remarkable, truly, to see exactly where we’ve occur from to where by we are now.”
Successful the Presidents Cup capped off a rough 4-yr journey for the girls underneath Lantzy, who was beforehand the Blackhawk Substantial School varsity coach in advance of getting about the club plan, primary them to 78 wins in four quick decades. Prior to figuring out just how fantastic they had been, Lantzy remembers the club struggling to area a workforce and just staying joyful to perform together.
Then, in 2019, the Century West ladies figured out how great they ended up, qualifying for the Presidents Cup for the very first time. The tournament, held in Tennessee, performed a huge role in the U15 team achieving the mountain leading this calendar year in Iowa.
Now even though, sights are established even increased as the ladies arrived jointly to turn into just one of the top club teams in the location, solidifying by themselves as a crew to be reckoned with thanks to the countrywide championship banner.
“We’ll be enjoying future calendar year in U16, so that up coming stage actually is larger stage tournaments,” Lantzy stated. “There are a range of children that want to participate in collegiately, so we want to continue to obtain good levels of competition. There is yet another level earlier mentioned that that we’re heading to get on. We want to continue on to development separately and as a team I would not doubt these women for a second.”
At the four-working day match, aside from crew achievements associates of Century West observed unique achievements as perfectly, as Kamela Ward – an Oak Glen (WV) High College student-athlete – won the tournament’s Golden Boot award, scoring a match-high a few targets, even though Leech received the tournament’s Golden Glove award as the tournament’s finest goalkeeper.
In full, Century West saw three gamers named to the Presidents Cup’s Greatest XI first crew, capping off an amazing weekend for the club.
“It was seriously wonderful to earn the Golden Boot I set a ton of really hard operate into it,” Ward reported. “Personally, profitable people today awards are pleasant. You see how a great deal you’ve labored through the year, and you eventually get that reward it implies a whole lot to me.”
Leech, a Moon Space Large Faculty who has taken a big stage forward as a person of the leading goalkeepers in the state because of to her intense design and style in web, performed an integral element in the a few thoroughly clean sheets Century West turned in at the event, major to her particular person crown as the Golden Glove winner.
“It was sort of a ‘wow’ instant, to be straightforward,” Leech claimed. “I watched the Olympics for soccer, and I assumed the Golden Glove was big for goalies. I figured it would just take a large amount of tough get the job done, just observing how hard those Olympians have worked. I was sort of in shock when they termed my title for the award it didn’t hit me till an hour or two later on in the generate property. It was like, ‘wow, that just occurred!’”
Leech was fast to point out that she couldn’t have turned in the three clear sheets without having the terrific again line in front of her, which performed an aggressive nevertheless technically seem defensive tactic all event lengthy, limiting traffic and action in front of Leech.
“Those girls have grown so significantly, particularly throughout locals, regionals and nationals,” Leech reported. “They’re hard employees, they don’t give up, and they even now uncover a way to enjoy their toughest even when they’re tired. I just cannot say adequate about people ladies.”
Lantzy credits the team-initial mentality of the defensive group, which purchased in immediately to the workforce defending philosophy Lantzy executed all all those decades in the past.
“We usually protect definitely properly,” Lantzy mentioned. “Our back line — no issue who is in there – they all bought into staff defending thought. They’re all great specific defenders, and all fully grasp positionally where to be.
“They bought into that from the get started,” Lantzy added. “There’s always an individual backing you up should you get beat. Additionally, they know there is a really great goalkeeper again there who arrives off the line extremely rapidly, who is significant and intense. It’s a great device.”
With the nationwide championship in tow and one milestone realized as a team, Century West now sets its sights on the U16 amount, the place the ladies aim to seize the condition championship future year less than Lantzy, with the same team intact.
