Published: May 09, 2008 11:34 pm         

Rapids 18-u girls team a mix of state, local players

Featuring players from Ripley to Fairlea, the West Virginia Rapids under-18 girls really live up to the term “traveling soccer team.”

The Rapids are among the 72 squads that will compete in the Darrell Moore Memorial Soccer Tournament, which begins at 9 a.m. today at the YMCA Youth Sports Complex.

Last week the 18-under Rapids finished second at a tournament in Roanoke, Va. They played four games, winning one and drawing two against one loss.

It’s not a veteran 18-under team by any means. In fact, the majority of the 19-member high school sophomore-dominated team could play under-16 ball.

“They’re hard workers and they’ve come a long way since last year,” coach Kelly Borck said. “Playing up (against 18-year-old competition) is always a challenge, but they’ve held their own and they work together real well.”

Borck, whose day job is coaching the Mountain State University women’s soccer team, has two of her own players on the u-18 squad, plus three from Greenbrier East High School, one from Ripley and another from Hurricane.

Players from Woodrow Wilson High School complete the squad.

“I think they’re going to surprise a lot of people,” Borck said. “The teams they saw during the high school season haven’t seen the way they work together now. They have a lot of potential.”

Even though there are quality players like MSU goalkeeper Christina Baker, MSU midfielder-defender Lindsey Denny and Woodrow Wilson all-state midfielder Kayla Rodriguez on the team, Borck said there hasn’t been a standout.

“Everybody has made equal contributions,” she said. “Our defense played really well last weekend, allowing just two goals for the entire tournament, which is very impressive.”

Surprisingly, the two MSU players haven’t been the leaders.

“They know it’s not their team,” Borck said. “I’ve put the load on (Woodrow Wilson sweeper) Kelsey Wilson. We look at her to step it up.”

Today the 18-u Rapids will play the RVSC Surge at 9:45 a.m. and FC Wheeling United at 1:15 p.m., both on the YMCA’s Field 8. Sunday they’ll match up with the WVSC Rowdies at 10:45 a.m.

The Rapids will field a total of 10 girls and boys teams in the tournament, which has 15 divisions.

The YMCA’s complex has eight lighted fields, each with its own scoreboard. Matches start at 8 a.m. today and 9 a.m. Sunday. A church service will be held Sunday morning at the food pavilion.

Chick-fil-A co-sponsors the tournament, which honors the memory of Darrell Moore, a longtime supporter of youth and high school soccer.

— E-mail:

dstillwell@register-herald.com