The Shreveport United 03 Blue will be competing in U.S. Club Soccer’s National Cup U19 championship tournament which begins Friday in Commerce City, Colo., a Denver suburb.
The team, in its second year in the Red River National Premier League, is the first soccer team from Northwest Louisiana to reach the national tournament at any level of competition.
Shreveport won the U19 Red River NPL South championship in June to qualify for the nationals.
The Shreveport team includes four players from Bossier Parish — Peyton Pipes, Emerson Foster, Alexia Unrein and Ella Kate Malley.
Pipes, an attacking midfielder, was the MVP on the All-Parish team last season. The Parkway graduate will soon join the ULM soccer team.
Foster, a center midfielder, is a rising senior at Benton. She was a first-team All-Parish and All-District 1, Division II selection last season.
Unrein, a center midfielder, and Malley, a defender, are also rising seniors at Benton. Malley didn’t play soccer last season, choosing to focus on basketball. She helped the Lady Tigers reach the Class 5A state championship game.
Other members of the team are keeper Madison Ersoff (Caddo Magnet), outside midfielder Laney Fouts (Captain Shreve), outside midfielder Aubrey Kuntz (North DeSoto), forward Landry Jones (Byrd), outfielder midfielder Emily Moffett (Captain Shreve), center midfielder Kiley Rourke (Captain Shreve), defender Margaret Roemer (Caddo Magnet), defender Jordan Leblanc (Byrd), outside midfielder Antonia Sapp (Caddo Magnet), forward Erin Campbell (Loyola), defender Katie Smith (Byrd), forward Khiana Roraback (Byrd), center midfielder Aila Yurochko (Caddo Magnet), defender Willow Snider (Captain Shreve) and defender Abby Beasley (Caddo Magnet).
Gil Roraback is the coach.
The Final Cup tournament features 12 teams from 10 states.
Shreveport is in Group A with Sting Dallas Royal ECNL, Pacesetter Soccer Club of Ohio and Eastern Washington Surf SC.
Shreveport’s first match is against Pacesetter at 5:30 p.m. CDT Friday.
