Cook Inlet Soccer Club U17 girls claim Alaska's first-ever U.S. Youth Soccer national title
Jul. 25This summer has been historic for Alaska's youth across multiple sports, and that trend continued Monday when the Cook Inlet Soccer Club U17 girls team became the state's first to win a U.S. Youth Soccer national championship."Winning a national championship with this team means everything to me," team captain Brooklyn Shankar said. "We've grown up playing together for so many years, and all the hard work, early mornings, and sacrifices finally paid off. Being able to make Alaska history alongside some of my best friends is something I'll always be proud of."The team spent a little over a week in Murfreesboro and Smyrna, Tennessee, plowing through their division, and they prevailed 3-2 over a team from Washington in the finals."That team's been special since I started coaching them back when they were U8," head coach Rich Bailey said. "I could just tell. We used to call that team the little ninjas because of just their intensity and focus and killer instinct, and as they've grown, we've just continued to add like-minded players and develop like-minded players."Last year, even though this same group fell short of advancing to the finals in Florida, they made history as Alaska's first to make it out of group play and into the knockout round.In the 2025 semifinals, they had a 1-0 lead in the second half with about 10 minutes left to play but wilted in the heat and humidity and didn't have the numbers or stamina to go the distance."We travel with a small roster, so if the teams show up with a roster of 18, we show up with a roster of 14, and with some of the sub restrictions and stuff like that, like, kids can't re-enter in a half," Bailey said.The squad of girls born in 2009 or later was "super motivated" to finish what they started and redeem themselves after last year's shortcomings, and they were better prepared to battle the climate in Tennessee this time around."Kind of all the same challenges, but another year of battle scars and battle-tested, and they were ready for it," Bailey said.The team won all six games, including a complete sweep of their group stage, and overcame a scheduling disadvantage because their opponent from Washington ended up with a forfeit."We were on our sixth game in eight days, and they were on their fifth game in eight days, which is a pretty incredible advantage when you're playing at that location for that many minutes and that many games," Bailey said.That didn't stop the team from getting off to another strong start, as they drew first blood with a goal in the first 10 minutes. And when the heat re-emerged as a challenge, they were better equipped this time around."I slowly saw us starting to wilt a little bit again in that heat," Bailey said. "We bring Dr. Joel Atkins from Atkins Chiropractic down. He donates his time and comes down to help hydrate and keep our teams fit because it's so grueling."Another element working in their favor was the difference in the tournament's substitution restrictions with limited re-entry rules.The Washington team managed to tie the game at 1-1 heading into halftime and still had the momentum to open the second half, taking a 2-1 lead. But Alaska went back on attack in the final minutes and pulled off the rally, tying the game late to force extra time.Just minutes into extra time, the Alaska team struck, taking the final lead."I remember the ball bouncing through, finding Brooklyn Shankar, and she finds Jesenia Cortez, and she turns and parks one in the net for us for the game-winner, probably about a minute and a half before time ran out," Bailey said. "I'll never forget that 10 minutes of soccer."Alaskans won all three tournament awards for the U17 division. Mikenna Keirn received the Golden Glove for best goaltender, Grace Cox got the Golden Boot for top scorer after notching nine goals, and Darby D'Amico was the Golden Ball recipient, which is given to the most outstanding player.Detailing the processOver the decade they've been playing together, the '09 girls traveled together out of state for competitions more than 40 times. Those long flights and countless hours spent in airports and honing their craft on and off the pitch built the bond that forged them into champions."They're battle-tested, and they know how to win games," Bailey said. "It takes a while to learn how to do it, but once we got (the lead back), I knew we were going to win."In his eyes, the mindset, focus, discipline and overall demeanor of this year's team made the difference."The girls are older, wiser, and we went into a compact shape, changed our formation right away as soon as we had the lead, and then the girls just started playing very, very smart," Bailey said.The award-winning trio is a part of a large contingent of rising seniors on the team who also play for South Anchorage High School, home of the two-time defending Division I state champions.The non-Wolverines players on the team include one from Juneau, who has been on the team the past 2 1/2 years; two from the Matanuska-Susitna Borough who have been on the team for the past eight years; and a couple from the Chugiak-Eagle River area."It just takes a lot of commitment," Bailey said. "When I first started this team, I wanted to make sure that I had an environment that had like-minded athletes, that was competitive in trying to win out of state, and I knew we'd win in-state if we could win out of state."Achieving this kind of success requires a commitment from the parents as well as student-athletes. Their investment of time and resources can reach tens of thousands of dollars for their daughters to have the opportunity to chase their dreams.Playing on the top CISC teams has translated into further competition. The team of players born in or after 2007 had 25 of 27 sign on to compete at the collegiate level. Bailey expects a similar ratio from this team.Up next for this illustrious bunch is state cup play in the next couple of weeks, where they will be looking to claim their eighth straight Alaska championship at the club level.But the road to the national title will hold a special place for the players."It's not just about the championship itself it's about the relationships we've built, the memories we've made, and representing our community," Shankar said. "I know this is something we'll remember for the rest of our lives, and I'm incredibly grateful to have shared it with this group of teammates and coaches."Shankar is also a rising senior from South, and both she and her teammates wanted to check off this milestone heading into their senior year as a gift to Bailey for all he has done for them over the years."He's wanted this just as much as all of us, and I'm so glad we could make it happen for him," D'Amico said. "He's helped us grow and become the players and people we are today."
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