Local sporting history was made recently when a group of the region’s top young soccer players successfully challenged the best the nation could throw their way.

Taking on the best U19 women’s teams from throughout the country, the Mt. Rainier Futbol Club battled its way to a national championship game and finished its season with second-place honors.

The squad, made up of players from East Pierce and South King counties, advanced to the National Cup XXII finals, staged July 18-22 in Commerce City, Colorado. The National Cup is U.S. Club Soccer’s championship series.

Playing four games in a span of five days, the MRFC crew opened with a pair of draws before earning a shutout victory to advance to the national championship contest. The tourney run began with a 1-1 tie against a Southern California squad that featured a late goal by Jaylee Reynolds; that was followed by a 2-2 deadlock against an Ohio team. MRFC earned its place in the finals with a convincing 3-0 shutout of Spartans FC.

The tourney finale brought a rematch against Canton-Akron United Force (Ohio), which ended with MRFC walking off the pitch on the short end of a 4-1 score. The Ohio squad jumped out to a 1-0 lead just a minute into the game but Zoe Marquart answered with a goal of her own and the game was deadlocked at intermission. The second half was tough for MRFC as United Force punched in two quick goals to take control.

All four Cup games were played at Dick’s Sporting Goods Park (home to the Colorado Rapids of Major League Soccer). After learning they would be in Cup play, the local team spent 10 weeks of practice focused on the national event.

Coach Luke Howells was upbeat when discussing the MRFC program’s future. In an end-of-season summary, he wrote, “Despite the loss, this shows that through MRFC’s Player Development Pathway and working towards our focuses and outcomes that as a club we are (on) the right path to compete in the biggest competitions for the biggest prizes.”

Making up the MRFC team were Ruthie Landwehr and Bianca Passig from Enumclaw; Laura Corr and Morgan Nall from Buckley; Josie Schampera from Black Diamond; Caroline Calkins, Orting; Carissa Carl, Julia Reitan and Peyton Tomlinson, Lake Tapps; Abby Hurst, Maple Valley; Jessica Young, Ravensdale; and Anne Anderson, Grace Atkinson, Anabella Atkinson, Sophie Avery, Zoe Markquart, Ruby Pearson, Grace Pearson and Jaylee Reynolds, all from Bonney Lake.

Guiding the MRFC squad were head coach Luke Howells and assistant coach Scott Nall.

PHOTO COURTESY MIKE AVERY MRFC’s Zoe Marquart pushes the ball downfield during a National Cup game in Colorado.