TSC-Challenge

Challenge 92 Crowned U15 Champion

TSC Challenge 92 (photo) was crowned U15 champion of the Eclipse Challenge Cup in Libertyville, IL over the weekend of August 25-27, 2006. Placed in a preliminary bracket that included both 2006 Midwest Regional Finalists, TSC Challenge 92’s first game on Friday afternoon was a weather-shortened 1-1 tie against the tournament host team Eclipse Select (IL) (Region II Finalist). Saturday’s first game was a 2-0 win against Eclipse South (IL) setting up a showdown with the Region II champion and eventual 3rd place finisher at the 2006 Nationals, Michigan Hawks (MI). Challenge went up 3-0 by early in the 2nd half before allowing two quick goals by the Hawks. The team scored a fourth goal to make the final score 4-2 and Challenge advanced to the semi-finals.

The semifinal game against the Blue Valley Stars Mallorca (MO) proved to be the greatest test for TSC Challenge 92 during the weekend, with the team scoring a goal in the last minute of regulation to take a 2-1 victory. Blue Valley was a semi-finalist in the 2006 Region II tournament resulting in Challenge playing three of the four regional semi-finalist in route to the Eclipse Championship. Below is an article from www.TopDrawerSoccer.com on the championship final:

By Robert Ziegler
U15 Final: TSC Challenge 5, Kickers United FC 1
Molly Missimer and Danielle Munoz each scored twice to help the Houston-area side cap off an impressive weekend with a 5-1 win in the final. Natalie Johnson had scored a late winner in the team's semifinal thriller against Blue Valley, but no such dramatics were needed in the final. Tricia Mallory added a single goal to the TSC tally in the final.

Gabby Whittinghill scored a nice goal for KUFC in the late going.

TSC coach Daryl Martin said just being at the event was a valuable experience for the team.

"It's very helpful to travel outside of Houston to find games like this," he said. "There are some good teams in North Texas but otherwise to find games like this we have to come to Chicago or go out west or go to the Disney Showcase in Florida over the holidays."

Martin said the team, which showed a hard-battling and at times rough-edged quality over the weekend, makes a priority out of mental toughness.

"That's a hallmark of the club We start that from U11 and instill it in them," Martin said. "I think our training sessions help build that."

TSC lost in overtime of this summer's Region III Championship to Dallas Texans, and Munoz, who scored 2 goals on set pieces from her central defense position, said the group is using the unhappy experience for motivation.

"We've been training like every single day before we came here," she said. "When we lost we got really down on ourselves, but we've picked it up and told ourselves we can do it this year."

Missimer said the team's forwards are gaining confidence as they see training ground routines pay off with goals scored in matches.

"We have had trouble scoring before but it's getting better," she said. "We are working on passing and controlling it, not rushing things. There are a lot of players on this team who can score and we've been scoring a lot more lately."

Along with Missimer, Annalisa Hall and Meghan Gibbons were active in the attack. Although she didn't score on the final day, Gibbons impressed a number of coaches on hand at the tournament with her speed and ability to control the ball, fend off hearty challenges and finish with both feet, which she used to score 4 goals on the weekend.

Aug 30