The Mighty Bluebirds U9 boys won their first SuperClubs Regional Tournament in their first appearance. Having played up against teams almost their entire lives they got to play in their own age group. The boys stumbled in their first game against MFC 98 Blue Boys 2-1, as the ball simply would not go in the goal. They came back and beat the TN Rush 98 Boys Nike team 5-1 and then won their third game 3-1 over the 98 Lobos which allowed them to narrowly advance to the finals, as the team they lost to in the first round ended up winning one game and tying two with the Bluebirds two victories and one loss they advanced to the finals on points. As it turned out the next best team in the tournament was the team that they had just beaten 5-0 in the second round and they defeated them again 5-1 in the finals.
Michael Pugh did an outstanding
job as usual scoring goals and playing great defense from his top of the
diamond position. The Bluebirds had to play without sweeper, Justin Charette,
who was sick, but Cole Cooper did a fine job filling in for him and Lawson
Korita, as always, was the difference at goalie. His fearlessness at coming
out of the goal to stop would-be scorers was a key to the Bluebird victory.
Joshua Best pitched in with 3 goals in the tournament while Ethan Flis,
Jackson Marchant, and Asa Brooks played solid defense on the corners.
Max Mendelsohn, Layne Hatcher, and Will Stafford all contributed at forward
as it was a team effort to get each of these close wins.