SP U15 Fire Girls Light It Up For Tournament Title

The Severna Park U15 Fire girls soccer team notched a memorable victory when it defeated FC Europa in a penalty shootout in the championship game of the Soccer Association of Columbia Fall Classic on November 17.

The Fire went 3-1 in the tournament, falling 2-1 to FC Europa in their opening game before winning their next three, including the rematch with Europa in the final.

The team included Samantha Wallace, Nadia Abdolahi, Clara Wilson, Kenzy Kamani, Ary Ventura, Olivia Vidrine, Layla Washington, Loralei Jakubik, Joslynn Rogers, Abigail Blair, Kristin Falk, Cebrina Bobbick, Ireland Paddy, Meghan West, Logan Clevenger, Ella Molinari and Avery Durm. They are coached by Stan Abler and Megan Paddy.

Falk scored in the team’s 2-1 loss in the tournament’s opener to FC Europa. In Severna Park’s second game, Falk and Jakubik scored and Washington had two goals as the Fire defeated the Laurel FC Gators 4-0. In the team’s third game, a goal by Washington powered the team into overtime tied 1-1 against LTSC Purple, and Severna Park prevailed in a penalty shootout. In the championship, regulation and overtime ended with the teams knotted at 0-0, and the game went to a penalty shootout. Washington, Falk, Vidrine and Abdolahi all sank their chances, and Paddy, the goalkeeper, sealed the championship with a penalty save.

Despite not having much competitive experience, the team won the championship of the Columbia Fall Classic in addition to winning the Arundel Cup back in October and going undefeated in its Anne Arundel Youth Soccer Association division this fall.

“They are a great bunch of girls,” said coach Abler. “They’ve worked really hard to get to where they are. I started with most of them about a year ago, and none of them had really ever played competitive soccer. And in a year’s time with their amazing hard work, they’ve come extremely far.”