RICHMOND, VIRGINIA - It’s been a tougher winter than usual in East, Midwest and even the South. Here in Richmond, there was a foot of snow on the ground as recently as three weeks ago. Last week the Jefferson Cup for Boys was canceled due to wet fields, but Friday the girls’ version of the event kicked off and the weather was glorious.

Coming off the winter months can be a challenge on teamwork side for teams in cold-weather states, but Raleigh-area club CASL’s U16 team, and the U17 Hershey Kickkats’ squad were in good form in taking Showcase victories here Friday.

The U13 to U15 age groups will compete beginning Saturday in a traditional knockout round format. We’ll have coverage of all three groups over the next two days.

Friday however, a large collection of college coaches, especially from the east and south, were on hand to watch the action. Host club Richmond Strikers’ tournament director Chris Friant and his staff do a great job of accommodating teams and visiting coaches both, maintaining the event’s status as a top venue for recruiting and competition.

U16: CASL Spartan Elite 4, Ohio Premier 0
Jay Howell’s CASL Spartan Elite U16 side was enjoying both, picking up an impressive 4-0 win over Ohio Premier. Howell explained that the team has been able to enjoy a sustained period of training, as the core group of the team has decided not to play high school soccer. The group is pursuing a strong performance in both the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship Series and the inaugural ECNL National Championship this summer.

CASL’s Taber Lewis is a strong midfielder, good at holding the ball and distributing it. Defender Michelle Oestreich is reliable and strong in the back line, with good tackling technique. CASL forward Alex Puszczynski intercepted an attempted clearance from the goalkeeper in the 1st half and kept her composure to control the ball and pass it into the back of the net for a 1-0 lead.

CASL began applying more pressure and their teamwork in passing and running off the ball was evident, but Ohio nearly got an equalizer, first when Holly Ohradzansky hit a shot that was deflected over goal, and then when Alyssa Tindal served in a good cross that Jane Domeck met with a powerful downward header. Only a quick dive and tip from CASL goalkeeper Annie McHenry kept the ball out of the net.

But the momentum kept traveling in CASL’s direction, with Monica Trickett making some intelligent runs off the ball, one which led to her header from a Courtney Johnson cross going over the bar. When the 2nd goal did come it was from an unlikely source as Ellie Wu, CASL’s talented but defensive-minded fullback, putting the ball away for a 2-0 lead. Trickett then made it 3-0, again making a good run and latching onto a through ball from Stephanie Lossau before finishing well.

CASL seemed to focus on keeping the ball in the 2nd half and did this pretty well. Lossau scored the final goal, getting to a long clearance from McHenry for a final scoreline of 4-0.

U17: Hershey KickKats 1, FC Stars of Massachusetts 0
This particular Stars team is not the top tier side of the club, although a recent scrimmage win over their more accomplished clubmates indicate they are, in one fan’s words, more of an A- team than a B team. Friday it was Stars’ goalkeeper Ashley Blanks who was performing in an A+ manner, prompting coach Bobby Redmond to agree that she kept the squad in the match.

Blanks has good hands, positioning and reflexes, but the attribute she exhibited over all on Friday was bravery. At least a half dozen times she had to face shots from Hershey players less than 10 yards away. The Hershey team seems united in their ability to absolutely hammer a ball, but Blanks never flinched and for any college coach looking for a goalkeeper from the 2011 class, better look at this player.

Hershey midfielder Ali Matisse was the best field player on the park Friday. She showed a great ability to operate on both ends of the midfield, winning possession for her team and disrupting Stars’ attacks, but also hitting probing passes and getting forward herself into the attack. It was fitting she scored the winning goal, with a clever lob after a scramble in front of the Stars’ goal late in the 1st half. Matisse will be playing her college soccer at Pittsburgh.

Hershey defender Jodie Zelenky also performed well, defending well and also showing an ability to hit a tremendous free kick, one of which almost led to a goal. Virginia Tech is the college destination planned for her. Other top performers for John Abe’s Pennsylvania side were outside back Samantha Spertzel, a gritty defender and pretty useful going forward as well, and forward Lauren D'Amico, who nearly created a goal with an audacious bit of skill where she headed a through ball to create a 1v1 for a teammate.

For Stars, defender Laura Thurber tracked well and put in some good tackles. Villanova-bound Kathryn Rayner is a fast and aggressive defender, while Sacred Heart recruit Kristin Verrette showed some good footwork, strength and the ability to turn her marker as a target forward.