CSSC Phoenix girls' soccer team returns from Nationals

Jul. 17—DANVILLE — The Central Susquehanna Soccer Club (CSSC) Phoenix girls' soccer team has returned from Wichita, Kansas, where they competed for a national title among the top eight teams in the country.

"It was an amazing experience overall," Phoenix head coach Brett Michaels said. "They competed against literally the best of the best and held their own."

The CSSC Phoenix team consists of eight girls from Danville, two from Lewisburg and one each from Sunbury, Northumberland, Southern Columbia and Shamokin, according to Michaels, a graduate of and teacher at Shikellamy High School.

The Phoenix compete in the Elite Development Program (EDP), Michaels said. After winning the Pennsylvania President's Cup in May, the team went on to participate in the Eastern Regional tournament in Conshohocken, where they placed second and secured a spot in the national tournament.

Earning a spot at the national level was an emotional experience for many of the girls, all under 13 years old. "Some of us were in tears when we won the semi-final game and realized we got to go to nationals," Amelia Hoffman, from Danville, said.

The team of 15, along with their coaches and parents, took a 20-hour bus trip to Kansas, during which the girls had a lot of bonding time, Michaels said. Upon arrival in Wichita, all of the eight teams competing were introduced during a ceremony.

"They had an opening ceremony in this big arena and they went through each region and introduced all the teams," Michaels said. "At the end, the kids wandered around on the floor and they traded all kinds of things."

At a tournament where many teams came from big cities, Phoenix stood out in the crowd, Michaels said.

"Most of them were big city clubs from places like Columbus, Norfolk and Saint Louis, so a lot of people took to our kids because of their background," he said. "People had never heard of Danville and couldn't even begin to pronounce 'Susquehanna.'"

In their first game, which was delayed a day due to lightning, Phoenix lost 3-1 against a team from Columbus, Ohio, who ended up winning the national title, according to Michaels.

The same afternoon, Phoenix tied a team from Knoxville, Tennessee, 0-0. "I truly think we controlled the play of that game, probably about 70 percent of it," Michaels said. "We just didn't quite finish."

Phoenix needed to win on their final day of play to make it into the final four. "The team from Saint Louis, Missouri, was incredibly impressive," Michaels said. "It just wasn't meant to be."

However, the Phoenix said they hope this will not be the end of their experiences at the national level.

"U-13 is the first year you're eligible to advance to that level, so we have set the standard high for the next six years," Michaels said.

Several of the girls made similar remarks, suggesting they will only work even harder in years to come.

"I think we have a whole new drive now," Kaci Grimm, from Sunbury, said. "I feel like we have to train hard and make it to that level every year."

Hoffman said the competition in Kansas gave the girls the opportunity to see where they needed to tighten up.

"Now we know what we need to work on at practice to get even better," she said.

After earning the chance to compete at nationals at the regional tournament in June, the team of 15 did not focus solely on training, but also had to raise money to help fund the trip to Kansas.

In the few weeks between the two tournaments, the girls spent many hours fundraising, whether it was selling baked goods at local businesses or hosting car washes. After almost daily fundraising efforts, the girls would head to soccer practice in the heat, Michaels said.

Having successfully made the trip and returned home, Michaels said he and the girls were incredibly grateful for the community's support.

"I don't know that it would've been feasible without the support of everyone," he said. "The kids were able to raise the money with their feet on the ground. They learned a big lesson. It was hard work."

Michaels said the team was grateful to have received both individual donations and support from local businesses.

"I can't say enough about the community support. We probably had between 150 and 175 businesses and/or families who donated something to help us," he said. "We come from this little area, but it's amazing how everyone comes together in times of need."

Even since returning home, Michaels said the girls are kind of like local celebrities. Emily Dalton, of Danville, said it's been nice to be recognized throughout the community.