MIFC Boys U-15 Select Win State Challenger's Cup

won the State Challenge Cup this weekend in a nail-biting, 2-1 victory over the Wenatchee Fire premier team.

This is the first time that a Mercer Island select team has won the State Challenge Cup (which is primarily comprised of Premier Clubs) and they will now go on to represent the state of Washington at the regional President’s Cup in Colorado in June. The team finished the with 21 wins and no losses.

Mercer Island got off to a great start in the tournament at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, scoring first with a cracking finish from Stuart Toda. This was followed up a few minutes later by a penalty to Mercer Island taken by Derek Sims. The rest of the first half was spent with each team having their opportunities and Wenatchee coming closest, clipping the post on a driving shot.

It was two-nil at half time and everything to play for. With twenty minutes left, Wenatchee started to pour players forward and gained the better of the chances, coming close on a couple of occasions and scoring a goal with ten minutes remaining. As was to be expected, Wenatchee went on the attack and threw in everything but the kitchen sink to get the equalizer. This left them open at the back and in the dying moments, MI had a couple of chances to put the game away. The final whistle blew and MI was crowned State Champions.

The semi-finals were played the day before and MI United played Harbor Premier FC, winning another close affair, 3-2, after having gone up 3-0 early in the second half. Wenatchee defeated Washington Premier White team 6-2. To reach the finals, United defeated the Spokane Shadow (1-0), HPFC Heat (5-2), WSA (3-0), tied with Issaquah (1-1) and defeated Eastside FC White (4-0). 

In the tournament, MI United played seven games, won six, tied one, with 19 goals for, and 6 against. The MI United Boys also won the Fall U15 Washington State League to give them an incredible season record of 21 games unbeaten, with 19 wins and two ties, 62 goals for and 15 goals against.