Crowned 2011 US Youth Soccer Region III Champions

Team Boca Girls on to Final Four

Top Row (L-R): Coach Bill D'Addio, Jen Martin, Gilda Doria, Claire Cerda, Rae Carter, Karina Rodriguez, Abby Carr, Coach Brian Dooley. Middle Row: Hannah Speer, Kaitlyn Manning, Miranda Fyfe, Natalie Punal, Alexi Zaremba, Ana Cuffia, Tatiana Coleman. Bottom Row: Lauren Silver, Bonnie Campbell, Ashley Oswald, Brianna Stampler. Missing: Melissa Bergstein #23 in spirit always! (photo provided)

SouthFloridaSunrise.com Staff report

MURFREESBORO, Tennessee. June 22, 2011--Celebrations and emotions were on display Wednesday as 12 teams, including one of Boca’s own, claimed the US Youth Soccer Region III Championship. Each team not only was crowned Regional champion, but also earned a berth to the US Youth Soccer National Championships July 26-31 in Phoenix, Arizona.

This year's Southern Regionals tournament was a proving ground for the Region III Premier League East Champion Team Boca - the competitive travel program of the Soccer Association of Boca Raton - to overcome staunch opponents and personal tragedy having lost teammate Melissa Bergstein in a horrific traffic accident in February.

With Melissa's memory patched on their jerseys and her number 23 written on their wrists, the girls took on the 15 most competitive teams in the 13-state Southeast region. Like them, all were either current State Cup champions or the first place team from their respective multi-state Premier League.

In the opening round-robin play in Murfreesboro last weekend, Team Boca went undefeated against the three teams in its bracket: State Cup Champions Maumelle (Arkansas) 7-0, Lonestar (Texas South) 4-3, and Mandeville (Louisiana) 4-1.

In the Quarter Final match, the team bested the Texas North State Cup Champion Dallas Texans 3-1 on Monday, and dispatched the Premier League West Champion D'Feeters from Texas North 2-1. This landed them in the Final against a familiar foe, Florida State Cup Champion Ponte Vedra Storm.

These two Florida teams - now high school seniors - have dominated Florida girls club soccer for the past five years, with the Team Boca squad winning the State Cup in 2006, 2008, and 2010 and the Ponte Vedra crew taking the title in 2009 and this season.

With ever-present encouragement by cell phone and texts from Melissa's mother, Nicole Vandenbergh, who was back home, the girls knelt together in memory of Melissa before the opening whistle of the Final.

Ponte Vedra struck first as Havana Solaun scored her seventh goal of the tournament to give her team the 1-0 lead 30 minutes into the game. Down at halftime, Team Boca Coach Brian Dooley could sense the added burden to 'win for Melissa'. He told the team that they weren't playing for Melissa. Waiting a moment for that to settle in, he went on to explain that they were playing with Melissa. Clearly, they carried her joy, her spirit, and her determination.

Team Boca’s play in the second half demonstrated that to everyone. Their game flowed smoothly and they were unrelenting. In the last minute of regulation, tournament MVP Tatiana Coleman netted the equalizer for Team Boca. Just two minutes into overtime Natalie Punal scored the game winning goal, sending Team Boca to the National Championships.

After the game, Coach Dooley, also head coach of women's soccer at Florida Atlantic University, commented that he sees qualities in these young athletes that he sees at the collegiate level.

"Over the last 3 years, I've seen these girls take their own responsibility for their growth as players and young women," commented Dooley. "This maturity has helped them win some tough matches, deal with defeat by difficult opponents, and bond them to be there for each other during the hardest of times after Melissa's accident."

Team Boca Program Director and Coach Bill D'Addio saw the same single-mindedness from the squad.

"Our girls dedicated this tournament to Melissa and I've never seen them so focused. Melissa may not have been with us physically on the field but she was surely present and felt by all. I witnessed something truly special that I will never forget," said D'Addio.

When the team landed back in Florida, Melissa's mom was at the airport waiting for 'her girls'. Before the final game, she had reminded them of the decorative tile they had seen so many times hanging in her kitchen: "Never, Never, Never Give Up". They told her now that they each know they can do anything if they carry that message with them.

Winning the US Youth Soccer National Championships Series in Phoenix next month is next on their list.

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The Team Boca Boys Under 18 Florida State Cup Champions finished 2nd in bracket play. They went down 1-0 to the Alabama State Cup VHSC Steamers Black on Friday. Things picked up the next day when they defeated the Brentwood Tennessee Premier League Champs 2-0, and tied Georgia State Cup Champ (and defending National Champions) Alpharetta Ambush 1-1 on Sunday. The boys were defeated by the Tulsa Soccer Club in the Quarter Final match 4-1 to end their quest for the Region III Championship crown and a ticket to the National Championship Series in Phoenix.