SNOHOMISH — The Snohomish United girls soccer team is going to Nationals.
Yes, it’s a big deal.
Grit, focus and skill is why they’re heading to Kansas in a few weeks — United G05 Black Coach Brandon Mitalas gave them all the credit in an interview.
In regionals last month in Boise, the team swept their series. They scored 21 goals and conceded two, and blocked their competitors from scoring in five of the six games. Thirteen of the teams that competed in regionals are local state champions who advanced into the competition, Mitalas said.
“To have done what we’ve done is remarkable,” Mitalas said.
As the FIFA Women’s World Cup in France captures international attention through to its championship July 7, the girls held fast interest in their heroes while watching a game telecast one morning over breakfast.
The coach said the United States’ 1999 Women’s World Cup championship was a breakthrough for local girls soccer. That team had Brandi Chastain and Mia Hamm.
Their win “blazed a path that this game is not bound by gender,” Mitalas said. The difference from 20 years ago is noticeable, he said, and he would know: He’s in his 32nd year in the sport.
The girls on this team were all born around 2005. Half of the select team’s players hail from Snohomish, with a few players from Marysville, Woodinville, Lake Stevens and Monroe.
“Each one is incredibly dedicated,” Mitalas said.
The team pushed to get to Nationals this year after dismay at the finals at a hard-fought league event in Las Vegas that left them weary. The coach was awestruck that the team took the straggling performance in Vegas as a rallying point to try harder. It speaks volumes for each of the girls’ characters, he said.
Fundraising will be a big prelude to making the trip to Nationals. Mitalas expects it may cost up to $20,000 to have the 16 players go. The team is actively doing fundraisers such as car washes to earn the money. For more information, send an email to SnohomishSoccerG05A@gmail.com
Their deadline is before July 22, when the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series begins its events.
