WAGS Tournament: Day 1 wrap

By Roger Gonzalez and Jimmy LaRoue

Dating back to 1975, the WAGS Rael Vodicka Memorial Tournament in the Washington, D.C. suburbs has typically provided college coaches a top showcase to scout for some of the best girls’ soccer players in the country, and this year’s event, just one day in, is proving to be no exception.

One of the great things about the WAGS tournament is seeing those teams that can just do it all. With collective play all over, a dynamite attack, sturdy defenders, a creative midfielder and a quality shot-stopper, one team has already stood out. Richmond Kickers Elite U-17 has six Division I prospects and are one of the top teams at the tournament. The starlets took time to talk to us on Saturday, and here is what they had to say.

Sometimes, an individual can stand out, such as Emily Zink with West Chester United 95 Predators, who scored twice on determined efforts to lead her team to a win in the U-17 Showcase I bracket. Staying in the same bracket, club coaches, such as Freestate’s Shannon Cirovski, have noted the lack of practice time and cohesiveness because many of their players are in the middle of their high school seasons, and one of them, Midge Purce, just returned from the U.S. women’s national team and the Under-17 World Cup. But for teams that have been together for long periods of time, such as Toms River FC Elite United 96/97, getting back together and showing good form is old hat.

And, we found one team who came out here from Gilbert, Arizona with members of its team studying up on their college options, taking SAT’s Saturday morning at T.C. Williams High School in Alexandria, knowing about the school’s historical connection that spawned the film Remember the Titans, then playing a game in the afternoon. They’re also looking forward to experiencing rain.