Courtesy Photo The Alpena U18 girls travel soccer team competed in the Traverse City Autumn Classic Tournament Sept 16-17 and returned home as champions.

The Alpena U18 girls travel soccer team competed in the Traverse City Autumn Classic Tournament Sept 16-17 and returned home as champions.

Alpena competed in the U19 bracket and set the tone for the weekend from the first pregame hype. The whole team was fired-up and went in with the mindset that it would control its destiny and losing was absolutely not an option.

Alpena followed through, going 4-0 on the way to the trophy against much larger downstate programs.

Alpena did not allow a single goal all weekend, finishing first in points in round robin play with game scores of 1-0; 6-0; and 1-0.

During the championship game Alpena continued with another shut out winning 1-0 against West Shore Waves of Grand Rapids. The finals were intense from start to finish as Alpena’s striker Anna Skiba broke away and scored the only goal of the game just moments before half.

The second half came down to guts and determination as AFC lost Senior Laurel Alberts to an ankle injury earlier in the day leaving them with only one sub.

Keeper Taylor Parker and the starting defensive back line of Sophie Kindt, Isabelle Kocan, Sidney Lacrosse and Sr. Annabelle Lacross anchored the team in not allowing any goals against them.

With few subs available Ezrah Williams, Alison Borowski, Faith Dragiewicz and Kelsie Mousseau were forced to play multiple positions with Dragiewicz and Borowski playing in every spot with the exception of Keeper throughout the weekend.

Outside Midfielders Maddie Farley and Haley Stenz(U14) helped keep up the pressure and Kindt, Borowski and Parker played every minute of the four games.

Goal scorers (and assists) on the weekend included: Alberts 1(3), Borowski 1(1), A. Lacrosse 1(1), Williams (2), Skiba 2, and The Golden Boot Winner of our entire age group Faith Dragiewicz 4(2).

AFC finished its tournament season with a record of 6-2-1 and is coached by Ken Dragiewicz, Tony Skiba and Andy Williams.