This past Saturday, West Coast's Pre-NPL girls' team Krossfire took to the pitch in the NorCal State Premier 1 Finals against a very tough and physical Elite Sonic 06G Orange team. Krossfire came into the match with a plethora of injuries and illnesses while Elite was flying high after knocking out the 1st and 3rd seeds in the quarterfinals and semifinals. Both teams battled back and forth throughout the first half trying to gain control of the midfield. Elite finally broke through in the final minutes of the half to put one past the Krossfire defense and take the 1-0 lead. The second half started with a Krossfire miscue that led to a second Elite goal. Krossfire would not give up, though. With about 10 minutes left in the match Krossfire drew a penalty in the box and were awarded the penalty kick. Gianna Ramirez knocked the kick past the Elite keeper to cut the deficit to 1. They continued to battle and create scoring opportunities, but luck just wasn't on their side. Elite would hold on and defeat Krossfire 2-1.

Though Krossfire wasn't victorious, the growth they have achieved over the past year is tremendous. They went from finishing 25th in NorCal last year to 10th this year. Continuing to build on this momentum, Coach Marlon Fernandez will be continuing to prepare these girls for a busy March which includes two CRL performance events and the Player's Showcase tournament in Las Vegas.

Pictured: Front Row: Madylin Harrell, Alana Albarran, Kendra Riddiough, Gabby Carlton; Back Row: Coach Marlon Fernandez, Skyler Ingram, Payten English, Gianna Ramirez, Sophia Simonds, Payton Hoover, Madeline Snodgress, Brittany Hahn, Ava Coverdale, Jennessa Maselli, Dakota Baird, Adriana Paneda, Jasleen Gasca, Paige McLean, Kayla Robinson