2013 PWSI Icebreaker Day 1 recap and photo gallery

By Jimmy LaRoue

PRINCE WILLIAM COUNTY, Va. – More than 250 teams took to some two dozen fields across the region as the 2013 PWSI Icebreaker tournament kicked off the spring soccer season for the girls brackets as well as the Under-13 through U-19 boys.

It was a tournament that featured star-power, as U.S. women’s national team star and new Washington Spirit defender Ali Krieger returned to her home club to sign autographs and pose for photos for awestruck fans at Valley View Park in Nokesville.

John Harkes, former D.C. United defender and a part of the U.S. men’s national team, was also there coaching the Chantilly Soccer Club’s TeamHarkes Elite 99.

But the tournament also featured future star power, such as Caitlin Sullivan, who scored four goals for PWSI Courage 94 Red in a dominating 4-1 win over CYA Rumble.

It’s also a difficult challenge to play up to four games over two days, even games compressed to two, 30-minute halves.

The U-19 FC Frederick 94 Royal squad played just four hours after its opening match, and Courage U-18 coach Celia Mosier was relieved to get early leads in each of her teams’ wins Saturday, allowing her to rest and rotate players liberally, important especially when high school seasons are factored in.

She noted how one of her players had played more than 10 games in less than two weeks, including multiple tournament games in a weekend.

It also featured boys in pink. The VISTA Vapors, playing in the Under-19 Red division, sported pink and black uniforms, stylistically matching Italian giants Juventus. Their alternate kits–replica Barcelona uniforms. It also featured a bilingual boys team–Alexandria Titans that went seamless between English and Spanish.

Day 1 photo gallery: