MICHIGAN SOCCER NETWORK: MSN NEWS: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/msnnews
(Editor’s Note: The Michigan Soccer Network will continue its series about an assortment of Michigan-based youth club teams that competed in various age groups at various regional and national tournaments and playoffs during the months of June, July and August for all levels of the youth soccer pyramid. Send all pertinent information including results, stats, photos, and coach’s contact information to MSN Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com and dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com or call the news department at 248-525-2349.)
BY DAN STICKRADT
COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST | WEB AND CONTENT EDITOR | DIRECTOR OF NEWS
BUSINESS LINE: (248) 525-2349
CELL PHONE: (248) 884-1051
TW/X: @msn_stickradt @LocalSportsFans @MiSoccerNetwork
WICHITA, Kansas – Like a fast-rising single, the Cap City Athletic 2010 Girls Grey U14 soccer team consistently climbed the chart with a bullet. It stalled out in the No. 2 position this summer – in the nation.
Cap City proved to be more than just a local hit, with its stellar run ending in the U.S. Youth Soccer (USYS) President’s Cup U14 National Tournament finals at the USYS National Tournament held July 12-16 at Stryker Sport Complex near Wichita, Kansas.
The effort helped Cap City to become one of the more successful club teams in the Lansing area in quite some time and was one of several club teams from around Michigan that shined this summer on various levels of the youth club pyramid.
“This was an exceptional group of girls to coach,” admitted veteran coach Dan Jury, who has coached legions of youth teams in the Central Michigan area for more than three decades. “We had an amazing season. We got all the way to the finals, but we just struggled to score in that one against a very good team. That’s soccer. I’m proud of everything that they accomplished. We won several tournaments in the last year, including the (MSYSA) State Up and Midwest regional and we were dominating in some of those games. We just came up short in the national finals. But it’s unbelievable for the girls to say that they were able to finish second (in the nation) against some really good teams.”
Strike A Pose: Members of the Cap City Athletic 2010-Grey U14 girls soccer team enjoyed a tremendous 2023-24 campaign which saw the side advance all the way to the USYS National Tournament finals. Courtesy Photo | Cap City Athletic
Goalkeeper Ava Croze (Lansing Catholic) was outstanding during the tournament run, especially at the regional and national tournaments. Center back Audrey Tostevin (Mason), forward/midfielder Elliana Rogers (DeWitt), forward Isabelle Currie (Lansing Catholic) and midfielder Elin Cooper (DeWitt) were some of the top players all season. Jaydin Barber (Bath), Kaela Campbell (Ovid-Elsie), Annika Fischer (Mason), Lila Foster (Okemos), Clementine Horgen (Mason), Addison McCarthy (Okemos), Alyssa McFall (Okemos), Grace Mingerink (DeWitt), Morgan Rogers (Mason), Isabella Schneider (Bath), Jadelyn Tarnowski (Williamston) and Elaina White (DeWitt) rounded out the deep and talented roster.
The team is made up of mostly players that will be entering their ninth-grade years of high school in the fall with a couple of girls who will be entering the eighth grade. The postseason All-Tournament selections for each age group in the boys soccer and girls soccer brackets will be released during mid-August, but Cap City has more than a few candidates for postseason honors.
Jury noted that there were several standouts along the way, and several that should have promising careers during club and high school soccer in the future if not more.
“Ava Croze just got better and better and she played as good as any goalkeeper that I saw at the regional and nationals,” said Jury. “She came up big several times for us to help advance all the way to the (national) finals.
“Audrey Tostevin, our center back, was also phenomenal all season long, really,” continued Jury, whose team competed in 41 games over the past year and posted a sterling team goals-against-average of 0.71, including 0.60 at the national tournament. “Our defense was very strong, and very consistent all season long. Audrey really picked up her game.”
The team also scored 145 total goals over the last year, good for 3.54 goals-per-game average.
“Ella (Elliana) Rogers played very well during the tournament, as did Isabelle Currie, Elin Cooper and Izzy Currie, and a few others. They really led our offense, and we scored a lot of goals this season,” said Jury. “Izzy creates a lot of space out on the wing and Ella and Elin are just really consistent. We had a lot of girls step up when we needed them to.
“One of the things I really like about this team is we are deep,” added Jury. “We have a lot of girls that have helped us in various games this year. You have to have that all season or you don’t get this far. Your top players do have to lead the way, but every player contributes in one way or another.”
Elin Cooper, one of the team’s top players, echoed her coach’s sentiments about depth and said her team has amazing chemistry – a huge part of the team’s success.
“We do have a lot of depth and talented players,” admitted Cooper. “Some teams we played might have had a very good starting (11s) but later in the game they got tired. We were able to sub a lot and we were still playing good soccer. We all get along, too.”
Cap City Athletic 2010s-Grey U14 soccer team captured the MSYSA State Cup trophy earlier during the 2023-24 campaign with an impressive 7-0-0 record and a 35-2 scoring edge in that run.
Courtesy Photo | Cap City Athletic
The 17-member team put up some big-time and impressive numbers over the last year to prove Jury’s points.
Overall, Cap City U14 team recorded an impressive 30-5-6 record playing a regular season schedule, various weekend tournaments and eventually in the state, Midwest region and national tournaments over the past 10 months.
The team also ventured from the MSPSP-Premier 2 ranks up to MSPSP-Premier 1 this past spring and qualified to compete in the USYS Regional League this fall.
In Group B pool play, the Lansing area side – which features players from the DeWitt, Okemos, Mason, Ovid-Elsie, Bath, Lansing Catholic, Williamston and more – finished 2-0-1 with a 5-2 scoring edge. They defeated Real Billings FC Girls 2010-Gold (3-1), MS Futbol Rush 10-Girls Premier (1-0) and tied Century United Soccer Girls 2010-Red (1-1) to advance to bracket play.
On July 15, Cap City U14 defeated Danville, Penn.-based Central Susquehanna SC 2010-Phoenix (1-0) in the national finals to earn a date in the finals. The day after on July 26, Cap City succumbed to Mississippi-based Tupelo Futbol Club Girls 2010 (1-0).
The team finished 3-1-1 overall at the national tournament with a 6-3 scoring edge that included a pair of clean sheets.
Last fall Cap City captured the Michigan State Cup title in the U-14 Premier II Division, going 5-0-0. They also finished second in its MSPSP Premier 2 Division while also winning both the Premier Cup and Club Ohio Fal Classic during the fall of 2023.
The team was promoted to MSPSP Premier 1 in the spring of 2024 and continued to shine and eventually captured the USYS President’s Cup Midwest Tournament title before advancing to the national finals of the same tournament in July before finishing second.
Over the course of the last 10 months, Cap City U14 outscored its opposition 145-29 with 20 total shutouts.
At the recent Midwest regional (June 14-18), the team finished 3-0-0 in group pool play with a 13-2 scoring edge, taking down Butler United SC Girls 2010-Siren (5-1), Rush Wisconsin 2010 Girls-Rush (2-0) and St. Louis Developmental Academy Girls Elite-Red (6-1) to advance to bracket play.
Cap City later downed Elmbrook United 2010 Girls Premier (3-0) in the semis before edging the Dakota Fusion SC 2010 Girls (2-1) in the finals to qualify for the President’s Cup National Tournament.
Previously, last fall Cap City U14’s run to the MSYSA State Cup triumph included some dominating efforts. The side finished 7-0-0 overall, winning all four games in the group stage and 3-0 in the bracket play. That included a 35-2 scoring advantage with five clean sheets.
Courtesy Photo | Cap City Athletic
Cap City defeated Battle Creek Fire 2010 Girls-Blue (6-0), TKO Premier SC 2010 Girls-White (11-0), AYSO United 10 Girls Premier (7-0) and Michigan Futbol Academy Revolution 2010 Girls-Elite (4-1) to finish a perfect 4-0-0 and outscoring the opposition 28-1 with three shutouts. Then in bracket play, the trek continued with wins over MPSA Crush 2010 Girls PWG (3-0), Michigan Futbol Academy Revolution Black (2-0) and Royal Oak FC 2010 Girls-Green (2-1), the latter coming in the state finals.
Combining the state, regional and national tournaments, the team finished 15-1-1 with a 59-9 scoring edge, nine shutouts and only one time being shut out and that came in the 1-0 setback in the national finals.
“Even though we lost, it was an amazing year,” added Cooper of the national finals result and the team’s journey along the way. “I don’t think people expected us to even win regionals. But we came back and beat a team from North Dakota (Fusion). We were down 1-0 but we came back and won that game late (in the contest). We found a way to win that game and I really think we started to believe that we could win (regionals). Once we got to nationals, we continued to play well and believed we could win. We were able to get to the finals and lost to a really good team. There’s nothing wrong with that. We gave it our all every game all year and we now have the memories of getting all the way to the (national) finals, winning state cup and regionals and everything else.
“It’s a great group of girls and we love playing with each other. We’re all so close even though we go to different schools,” added Cooper. “I don’t think we would have ever got here (to the finals) if we weren’t. We also have some great players. Our goalkeeper, Ava Croze – she was amazing. I don’t think we win regionals or make it to the (national finals) without her to be honest. But that’s what we needed. Everyone stepping up for the team and playing their best (and playing their part) regardless if you are a starter or a sub.”
All of that helped Cap City Athletic 2010s become one of the best around.
(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the Michigan Soccer Network regarding club soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer of teams or players with Michigan ties, contact Communications Specialist/Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com, or call 248-884-1051. Dan Stickradt is a 31-year veteran of the Michigan Media circles and recently joined the staff full time in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/MSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@michigansoccernetwork.com.)
ALL-STATE SOCCER LINKS 2024 -- GIRLS SOCCER
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2024 MIHSSCA DIVISION 3 ALL-STATE GIRLS SOCCER TEAMS: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/2024-mihssca-division-3-all-state-teams
2024 MIHSSCA DIVISION 2 ALL-STATE GIRLS SOCCER TEAMS: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/2024-mihssca-division-2-all-state-teams
2024 MIHSSCA DIVISION 1 ALL-STATE GIRLS SOCCER TEAMS:
MIHSSCA DREAM TEAM REVEAL SHOW 2024: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/girls-soccer-all-state-dream-team-offensive-defensive-players-of-the-year-are-a-talented-bunch
GIRLS SOCCER: All-State Dream Team, Offensive, Defensive Players of the Year are a talented bunch: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/post/girls-soccer-all-state-dream-team-offensive-defensive-players-of-the-year-are-a-talented-bunch
GAME RESULTS FOR ALL LEVELS
SHELBY TWP., Mich. – The Michigan Soccer Network, Premier Media Group and all affiliates, will continue to compile a random sampling of game results from around the state each day. To send in game and tournament results (game wraps, box scores, statistics, coach’s quotes, photos, video clips) from high school varsity, collegiate, youth club, amateur, pre-pro, semi-pro or professional soccer for teams within Michigan’s borders or with ties to Michigan players, email all pertinent details to Communications Specialist / Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com or dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com, or submit information right on the correct link on the MSN website at www.michigansoccernetwork.com.
MICHIGAN SOCCER NETWORK: MSN NEWS: www.michigansoccernetwork.com/msnnews
(Have a story suggestion for the Premier Media Group and the Michigan Soccer Network regarding club soccer, high school varsity, amateur soccer, collegiate soccer or professional soccer involving teams, players or coaches with Michigan ties, contact Communications Specialist/Web and Content Editor/Director of News Dan Stickradt via email at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com or dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com, or call 248-884-1051 or 248-525-2349. Dan Stickradt is a 31-year veteran of the Michigan Media circles and recently joined the staff full time in March of 2024. Want to schedule a broadcast game or live show, contact PMG/MSN Director of Broadcasting Jonathan Turner for availability and pricing at jonathan@michigansoccernetwork.com.)
GAME RESULTS FOR ALL LEVELS
SHELBY TWP., Mich. – The Michigan Soccer Network, Premier Media Group and all affiliates, will continue to compile a random sampling of game results from around the state each day. To send in game and tournament results (game wraps, box scores, statistics, coach’s quotes, photos, video clips) from high school varsity, collegiate, youth club, amateur, pre-pro, semi-pro or professional soccer for teams within Michigan’s borders or with ties to Michigan players, email all pertinent details to Communications Specialist / Web and Content Editor / Director of News Dan Stickradt at stickradt@michigansoccernetwork.com or dstickradt@thepremiermediagrp.com, or submit information right on the correct link on the MSN website at www.michigansoccernetwork.com.
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