Mercer Island U-12 Select Girls Crowned State Cup Champions

The Mercer Island 12 & under girls select soccer team, comprised mostly of Islander Middle School sixth graders, capped off a magical run through the Washington State Youth Soccer Founders Cup tournament last Sunday with a thrilling 4-2 victory in penalty kicks over one of their Crossfire rivals. 

After battling to a 0-0 tie through 60 minutes of regulation play and the end of two overtime periods, MI Fierce, as the team is named, took a commanding 2-0 lead over Crossfire-McLaughlin after two rounds and held on for a 4-2 PK victory. Mercer Island's Eliza Jacobson, Fiona McCann, Makenna Stevenson and Macy Mounger all scored in the penalty kick phase.

The team went undefeated in the Founders Cup tournament — a once a year statewide tournament that draws select level soccer teams from around the state — winning six games on the trot. 

The tournament began Dec. 17 with pool play over Seattle United NE Blue (2-0) and Chaos (1-0), MI Fierce advanced to the single elimination round and won again, 1-0, in a hard fought victory over Spectre on Jan. 29. In the quarterfinal round held on Feb. 4, the Mercer Island girls had an easier time in a 3-0 victory over Shoreline Blue and advanced to the semifinals on Feb. 11 against one of their Crossfire rivals, Crossfire-Mallalieu.

The MI Fierce team stunned their Crossfire rival with two early goals and jumped to a 2-0 halftime lead.  In the second half, the Crossfire team scored a goal on a penalty kick, the only goal allowed in regulation play by the Mercer Island girls for the entire tournament!  MI Fierce held on for 2-1 victory to advance to the finals.