Four girls soccer teams will represent Clark County in regional championship tournaments this week and next week.
Three of the teams — two from FC Salmon Creek and one from the Washington Timbers — will compete in the top-level regionals June 20-26 in Boise, Idaho. Another Washington Timbers team is in Littleton, Colo., this week for a second-level regional championship.
Each of the teams qualified by winning a state tournament in Oregon. Here is a look at the four teams:
FC Salmon Creek Nemesis (Ellertson) — This is the second consecutive trip to the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regionals for this team coached by Tina Ellertson. The Nemesis are one of 16 teams in the girls under-15 tournament at Boise. They qualified by winning the Oregon state tournament.
Last June, this team of girls born in 2000 lost to the eventual national champions in the regional quarterfinals.
That experience — and the team’s success at tournaments such as the U.S. Club Soccer National Premier League Finals, which it won in 2014 — could give the Nemesis a leg up at this tournament.
“When you play against the best you get to be tested, you get to see your weaknesses, you get to see what that next level is so that when you go to platforms like regionals you’re prepared — prepared enough to be able to not be so fearful,” Ellertson said.
Playing without fear is a must according to central midfielder Callie Rheaume.
“It’s about giving it your all and not being afraid to hold nothing back and taking risks,” Rheaume said.
Forward MacKenzie Ellertson said past success gives the team confidence.
“These teams are definitely the top of the top,” she said. “They have very fast players and all the players are strong and athletic.”
The roster is predominantly players from Clark County, but includes players from four Oregon high schools. Five players — MacKenzie Ellertson, Malaika Quigley, Sydney Weber, Savannah Harshbarger and Ally Turkington, are in their fifth season with the team.
FC Salmon Creek Nemesis (Macaya) — One of 16 teams in the girls under-17 U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regionals, this team coached by Dan Macaya qualified by winning the Oregon state title. The girls, born in 1998, are all from Clark County and will be high school seniors in the fall.
Macaya said finding players committed to competing at the highest levels provided the foundation for this berth.
“The hard work has finally paid off,” Macaya said. “Regionals is another opportunity to compete at a high level.”
At the June 4-5 Showcase of Champions in Redmond the team went 2-1-1 in the under-19 tournament. The loss was its first in more than a year, which Macaya called a timely reality check ahead of regionals.
Outside back Ashley Carter said that strong chemistry on and off the field has heeled this Nemesis team to all of that success.
“We know what each other’s going to do before they actually do it,” Carter said.
Center forward Erin Siegel of Ridgefield is confident the team will be up for the challenge.
“Our finishing is the big thing,” Siegel said. “We get a lot of opportunities, but finishing those opportunities is going to be a big thing.”
Washington Timbers Red (2001) — A trip to Arizona helped propel the Vancouver team to an Oregon state championship and the berth in the under-14 girls U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regionals.
Timbers Red beat a Willamette United team from West Linn 3-1 on May 7 to complete a 6-0 run through the Oregon state tournament. In the semifinals, Timbers Red vanquished rival and defending state champion Capital FC Timbers of Salem on penalty kicks after a scoreless draw.
Coach Cliff Samodurov said confidence gained by reaching the final match of a March showcase tournament in Phoenix keyed the title run.
“Early on in that tournament you could see that they believed they belonged on the field,” Samodurov said.
The coach said the team made winning the Oregon state title was the goal from the start of the season.
“I’m excited to see what we can do at regionals,” he said.
Washington Timbers Green — The Washington Timbers Green on Tuesday begins group play in the under-15 girls tournament at the U.S. Youth Soccer Presidents Cup Far West Regional in Littleton, Colo. The Presidents Cup is a second national tournament open to teams that do not compete for the USYS national championship.
A Washington Timbers team won the Presidents Cup national title last summer in the girls under-17 division.
This team won the Oregon Presidents Cup to qualify for this week’s regional, the first state title for a team that has played together for about three years according to coach Rusty Williams.
Timbers Green will open group play on Tuesday against the Utah champions. On Wednesday they face a Spokane team and on Thursday face the Southern California Rush. The top two teams from each of the three groups, plus the next two best teams, advance to the knockout phase that begins on Friday.
