A girls soccer team from FC Salmon Creek won a national tournament on Monday in Greensboro, N.C.
The FC Salmon Creek Nemesis beat the New England FC Girls U-13 Elite 2-1 to win the under-13 division of the National Premier Leagues Finals. The Nemesis finished with four wins and one draw at the tournament.
Mackenzie Ellertson scored from a free kick by Savannah Harshbarger, and Ava Benedetti produced the second goal in the 2-1 championship game victory. Goalkeeper Hallie Byzewski came up with a series of big saves late in Monday’s final match.
“The big thing was just working together and working as hard as we could,” McKenzie Ellertson said.
She said the Boston-area team that the Nemesis beat twice at the tournament was a challenging opponent.
Tina Ellertson, who coached the team with her sister Crystal Frimpong, said the competitiveness of her players made the difference.
“We just willed ourselves to win games,” Tina Ellertson said.
The Nemesis qualified for this U.S. Club Soccer sanctioned national tournament by winning the Northwest Premier League title in the fall.
“This was a high-level tournament,” Tina Ellertson said. Winning it, she said, “is a testament to what kind of talent we have in Southwest Washington.”
The Nemesis reached the finals by beating the Michigan Hawks 1-0 in a Sunday semifinal. A passing combination among Mackenzie Ellertson and Benedetti set up a goal by Maddie Goss.
The Nemesis had two wins and a tie in group play. It started on Thursday with a 4-3 win over Match Fit Academy from New Jersey as Goss had two goals and an assist, Brin Wolvert a goal and assist, Benedetti a goal and Mackenzie Ellertson an assist.
On Friday, Goss scored off a Harshbarger corner kick in a 1-0 win over the NEFC Elite team that the Nemesis beat in the final match.
On Saturday, Bella Serrano scored on a give-and-go play with Benedetti in a 1-1 draw with the Mississippi FC Fire to conclude group play.
The Nemesis also met North Carolina women’s soccer coach Anson Dorrance and Cindy Parlow Cone and toured the Tar Heels soccer facilities.
Playing for the Nemesis in North Carolina were: Byzewski, Jenna Efraimson, Malaika Quigley, Ally Turkington, Serrano, Sydney Weber, Goss, Harshbarger, Payton Lindell, Ellertson, Benedetti, Wolvert, Regan Smith, Callie Rheaume, Alyssa Olson and Avery Fairbrother.
