Since wrapping up a successful fall season with a second-place finish in the Midwest Regional League First Division Blue and a runner-up result in the State Championships, the North Shore United U16 girls have set their sights higher.

The team, coached by Sinisa Angelovski, received invitations to a number of top college showcase events, including the Scott Gallagher Fall Classic in St. Louis, the San Diego Surf College Cup, the MTA Nike Girls College Showcase in St. Cloud, Minn., the Las Vegas College Showcase and the College Search Kickoff in Muscatine, Iowa. These tournaments provide unparalleled exposure to NCAA and NAIA college coaches looking to recruit athletes to their programs.

In early November, the college showcase “season” began with a trip to the Scott Gallagher Fall Classic. The U16s defeated regional powerhouses Scott Gallagher Missouri Blue and JB Marine Wipke (Missouri) to win the top Premier Blue Division with a 4-0 record. The final game was a 3-2 victory over JB Marine Wipke, the reigning Region II champions who are ranked fifth nationally.

Over Thanksgiving, the team traveled to San Diego for the prestigious Surf College Cup. About 350 college coaches attend and while the team did not achieve the same results, much was learned about what it takes to compete at the highest national level.

As noted, there are three additional college showcase events to be played before these girls turn the page to the U17 level. Congratulations to all the girls and many thanks to Coach Angelovski for teaching these girls the skills and tactics required to compete on and off the pitch.