After a long season, it was time to test our skills against the best of the best. Over the past few months, we have spent countless hours practicing and sharpening our skills in preparation for one thing: The 2011 USPSA Premier Cup.
This past June, the ASU Power Soccer Club made its way down to Atlanta, GA to participate in the first Premier Conference Cup Tournament. The top 10 teams in the USPSA were invited to participate in the tournament, and we were eager to see how we staked up against the cream of the power soccer crop.
This tournament was also the first Conference Cup to be played under the new USPSA Conference realignment. Instead of having two divisions for the league’s 60 teams, the USPSA is now split into six different conferences, with the best teams in the league being placed in the Premier Conference.
Under the new alignment, the Sun Devils were placed in the top conference. While it was only our first season playing together for Arizona State University, we had several power soccer veterans and had enough skill to hold our own against the best the conference had to offer.
From the minute we arrived in Atlanta, we were eager to get the tournament started. After months of preparation, this is what we play for, a chance at a National title. For three straight days, we competed against top teams like the 2010 National Champions, Circle City Rollers, and perennial title contenders, the Atlanta Synergy. All of the teams showed great improvement and the competition level was at a level I’ve never seen before. Most of the games were decided by two goals or less and were filled with intense, non-stop action.
In the end, the ASU Sun Devils earned seventh place in our inaugural season. While we didn’t finish as high as we hoped, our team played with great heart, determination and respect. So now we return home to continue to build on our successful 2011 season. For now, we will focus on improving and aim to return to the 2012 Premier Cup better than before. Even though the season is over, four words will drive us to new heights into next season:
Wait ‘til next year...
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