Generation Adidas Bethesda Premier Cup Girls Weekend begins Friday
The 2015 Generation Adidas Bethesda Premier Cup Girls Weekend kicks off Friday at the Maryland SoccerPlex and several other local venues, beginning a three-day competition and showcase event for many of the top teams in the region and the nation.
Previously named the Generation Adidas Bethesda Tournament and commonly known as the Bethesda Thanksgiving Tournament, the Premier Cup now has a new name and several new features, including a college recruiting seminar and a tournament festival at the SoccerPlex Stadium.
More than 450 girls teams have been accepted, playing for clubs from 12 U.S. states – Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania and Virginia – as well as several Canadian sides. Over 50 of the competing teams are reigning State Cup champions in their age groups, along with four Regional champs.
Many of the top regional and national leagues sanctioned by US Youth Soccer and US Club Soccer will be well-represented, including the Elite Clubs National League (ECNL), US Youth Soccer National League, Midwest Regional League, Region I Champions League New York Club Soccer League, Club Champions League (CCL), Eastern Development Program (EDP), and various National Premier Leagues (NPL), among others.
Six teams – SAC Premier Blue (U-10), Loudoun Red (U-11), Voorhees Xtreme (U-12), Rage SC Athletica (U-13), Bethesda ECNL Tempo (U-15) and Maryland United ECNL (U-18) – return to the tournament as reigning champions of the 2014 top flights, looking to defend their titles.
Along with a new name, the Premier Cup also features teams from qualifying events for the first time. Rush for the Cup and the recently-launched Embassy Cup, both held at the SoccerPlex, introduced Bethesda qualifier brackets at their most recent tournaments, where 13 teams on the girls side were able to play their way into the exclusive event.
Eight of those teams qualified at Rush for the Cup back in September, four of which represent DC Stoddert. The Stoddert Blue Metros CCL teams captured division titles at the U-10, U-11, U-15 and U-16 levels, and will compete this weekend at the Premier Cup.
Other Premier Cup qualifiers from Rush for the Cup include Alliance Premier 03 (U-12), Leesburg Lightning (U-13), Maryland Rush Montgomery (U-14) and Maryland Rush Montgomery 98 EDP (U-18).
Qualifiers from the first year of the Embassy Cup include Baltimore Bays Chelsea Lightning (U-12), Beachside SC (U-13), Bethesda SC Academy 2001 Blue (U-14), Vincent United FC Sirens (U-15) and Lee Mt. Vernon SC Patriots Red (U-17).
The Premier Cup will also host a free college recruiting seminar for players and parents, which will take place over the girls weekend on Saturday, November 14 at the Gaithersburg Hilton hotel, the tournament headquarters, from 7:30 – 9:00 p.m. Coach speakers will explore the recruitment process and other matters such as NCAA eligibility, how to identify the right school and playing environment, and communication skills with coaches and other important contacts.
The Tournament Festival held at the SoccerPlex Stadium’s East Concourse will run from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. It will include tournament apparel sales, music, vendors, food tents and trucks, visits from the Washington Spirit and D.C. United, an official scoreboard, free gifts for attendees and more.
In addition to the 22 fields at the SoccerPlex, which will play host to the U-16 to U-19 showcase divisions, games will also be played at Gaithersburg High School, Muldoons Farm, Olney Park, Polo Grounds, Richard Montgomery High School, Summer Hill, Walter Johnson High School and Wootton High School.
