San Diego Surf Girls Under 8 win 11th annual Blues Cup

The San Diego Surf Girls Under 8 won the 11th annual Blues Cup held in San Juan Capistrano Labor Day weekend Sept. 1-3 in the Girls Under 8 Division. This is the team’s third tournament championship this summer. The Blues Cup is one of the largest soccer tournaments in Southern California for this age group and attracts many of the most competitive girls teams in the United States.

USA Women’s Soccer Team forward Amy Rodriguez #8 of Lake Forest, Calif., who has won two gold medals playing in the 2012 London Olympics and 2008 Beijing Olympics, presented the Surf girls with their medals and trophy at the awards ceremony. Under coach Steveo Leacock, the Surf U8 team won four games straight before heading into the final game on Monday Sept. 3. Surf beat West Coast Futbol Club of Laguna Hills, 1-0, in game one, then beat Carlsbad Lightning Red of Carlsbad, 3-1, in game two.

On the second day of the tournament, Surf beat Strikers Futbol Club of Huntington Beach, 3-1, and then faced San Diego Crusaders Soccer Club of San Diego in the semi-final to win 2-0. The girls went up against Carlsbad Lightning Red again in the championship on Monday, winning 3-0. During the game, forward Kate Dalton was able to break away and score the first goal for Surf. Forward Paige Buchner finished a corner kick from mid-fielder Soleil Dimry to make the game 2-0. In the second half, with an assist from Dimry, Buchner again scored to cinch the championship win.

“The girls have started the season very well. It’s been an excellent summer and for any team to win West Coast and Blues Cup in the same year means it’s a special team, “ Coach Leacock commented. “I can only see this growing and getting a lot stronger. Great job girls!”