U13 Hamlets Win the Busch Gardens Spring Soccer Shootout

The U13 Girls traveled down to Williamsburg over the weekend of March 24th to participate in the Bush Gardens Europe Spring Shootout hosted by the Newport News Soccer Club. The team had not been outside since early November and was itching to get onto the pitch. This was apparent during the first game, when hard work and excellent passing created opportunity for a wonderful finish to break the ice for the Hamlets 10 minutes into the game. The Virginia based FASA Premier team had not chance to catch their breath before a dominating Hamlets side made it 2-nil. The balance of the game continued much the same way with no goals, leaving little for the Hamlets goaltender to do.

The second game later Saturday afternoon was simply a continuation of the earlier match. The Hamlets came out gunning and passed around the opponent scoring 7 unanswered goals.

The next morning, the Hamlets opposed a determined and prepared Virginia Rush Swoosh team. The Hamlets were constantly bombarding the packed Rush penalty area but were unable to break the deadlock despite another excellent display of hard work, communication, and passing.

The 2 wins and 1 draw placed the Hamlets top of their group and they drew another Virginia Rush team for their semi-final game. Again, the girls were up to the challenge, when a darting run and excellent through ball gave the Rush defender no option but to foul the Hamlets’ striker conceding a penalty. The penalty was clinically finished and the Hamlets did not look back, scoring 3 more to win the match 4 nil.

FASA Premier would again face the Hamlets in the final, after they won a grueling semi final on the fifth penalty. An up-beat and rested Hamlets team was ready for the task at hand and scored the 1st of 3 goals after 13 minutes to collect their second tournament championship with a 4-nil victory.

Terrific weather, good fields, and excellent soccer from the Fuller Hamlets girls made for a very pleasurable weekend. The “rust” and fatigue that normally plagues this team in March was non-existent. The creativity, communication, and terrific finishing that normally eludes us until a few weeks into the season, was the best it has ever been. It was a wonderful start to what will no doubt be a great Spring Season for the Fuller Hamlets U13 Girls team.