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The soccer season in Flagstaff has grown into a year-round affair. The Flagstaff United Soccer Club U16 girls team went on a magical run to win the Arizona Soccer Association State Cup in its age group.

This squad, largely composed of local high school talent, earned a spot in the US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships set to take place in Boise June 20-25. The long club season saw the team win six straight matches over three weeks across the state to secure the title and a shot in regionals.

The team’s head coach during the State Cup, Alan Berrios, noticed that his experience as a coach meant he would have to work these kids hard to reach their full potential, especially when it came to competing against the strong clubs based in Phoenix.

“I’ve coached clubs at a high level for 20-plus years,� Berrios said. “I’ve been fortunate to coach some really good teams at the club level as well. When I took this team over, I noticed that we had a lot of work to do to catch up.�

The club team consisting of high school-age student-athletes is very familiar with each other and the coaching staff. The group has developed a system that works best for them and puts them in the best position to succeed.

Savannah Berry, who took over as the team’s head coach going into regionals, sees the variety the roster has and sees it as an opportunity for players to lean on one another.

“This team specifically is super special because we have a range of three age groups,� Berry said. “We have some younger players born in 2010-11 as well as some 2009s. That’s really cool, because across age groups, it’s allowing them to prep heading into high school by playing with individuals at different skill levels.�

The younger girls who have earned a spot on the older-age division team did so by proving they have what it takes to compete against bigger, stronger players. That hasn’t deterred them from giving it their all and getting a preview of what this level will be like when they are older.

Berrios was excited about the challenge to build up this team to what it ended up becoming. He went ahead and asked the players and their parents if they truly wanted to be pushed as opposed to just going through the motions.

The first few weeks of training were tough as the team honed its skill set. It was at about the one-month mark that Berrios said everything started to click.

“It was awesome to watch how the girls on the team just bought into what we were trying to do,� Berrios said. “As soon as that happened, the team started getting better and getting decent results in league play. The progress from Day 1 to getting to the State Cup was night and day.�

The team only got better over time, but that didn’t make every match in the tournament a cakewalk.

“It wasn’t easy by any means,� Berrios said. “There was only one game that we felt comfortable in. All the other games were like dogfights. It was brutal, it was tough, but the girls kept fighting.�

Berrios highlighted Coconino High School standout Sayler Smith as a pivotal piece to the team’s state championship.

“She scored multiple goals in that State Cup run,� Berrios said. “She was just a handful to defend. She just caused all sorts of problems for the opponent. She’s a kid that I believe is going to play at the Division I level at some point.�

The title match proved to be the toughest, going into extra time after each team scored two goals and ultimately into penalty kicks, where Flagstaff United came out on top over Christ’s Church of the Valley Stars Elite 64 team at Reach 11 Sports Complex in Phoenix.

Flagstaff United director of coaching Holly Jones said the team’s draw as the No. 3 seed in the State Cup has prepared them to make another run in Boise.

“They had to play some of the top competition even within our state,� Jones said. “I do think they have a chance at winning regionals.�

The team has been trying to navigate its way to Boise in the months since clinching the State Cup. Kids are traveling in groups that best fit their situations and are going as far as to raise money to cover travel expenses.

Competing against some of the best teams in the Western United States is an opportunity that these players have fought tooth and nail for. They have shown that they will do whatever it takes to be there.

The US Youth Soccer Far West Regional Championships will consist of 12 teams divided into three groups of four. Teams will play every team in their group. The winner of each group, plus the next best team overall via a wildcard spot, will advance to the semifinals on June 24. The finals will be the following day on June 25.

“The bottom line is that if they go out, they play hard and play for each other, they’re going to be successful,� Berry said. “If they play as a unit, they’re always going to be stronger than if you play as an individual. We have so many different personalities, character traits and different strengths on this team, and I think they balance each other out really well.�

Flagstaff United U16 opened the tournament in Boise against the Eastside Timbers Red I team based in Oregon on Friday. The team will then play Rebel Elite Black based in Utah on Saturday, followed by Albion Soccer Club Hawaii on Sunday.