This was my 8th year with teams at the FC Portland Showcase.  As always the weather is never the same. Though we had an ice fog making very freezing temperatures it was far better than some years with brutal wind, icy fields, or snow coming down.  The last day we even had warm sun! Always thankful for one of my favorite coffee shops, Insomnia, right next to 53rd fields to keep warm fluids in my all day.
Travel with three teams and just 45 players seemed a piece of cake following last weekend with three times as many. Plus not as many parents come to this. Why would you take this over San Diego or Phoenix in the winter. Completely understood.
Our U18 girls had a tough time finding wins and a couple of tough injuries to some key players took its toll, but it was fun to see them progress each game and get more composed and competitive with each game against stronger competition as the weekend progressed. Bekka Ord did well up top in the first game and we had a nice goal from Mia. We really enjoyed our guest players Talya from Montana ODP and Maeve from Sequim WA. They were very dominant and controlling in our center midfield. It should also be noted that really this was a U17 team, playing U18 to give our few seniors on the team a chance to get out and get recruited by college coaches in attendance. Hoping we return with this same group again next year where we will certainly be more competitive.
U18 boys were similar with tough injuries early on after losing a close one to a Montana team we should have done better in. Expecting tough last games but we got to play spoiler with our 3rd game against the tournament leading team getting a 1-1 tie taking them out of the title race, then in the final game against a strong team sitting in third looking to win the event but a last minute nice corner goal earned us another tie to take them out of contention.
U17 boys had a tough draw, toughest I've seen in my 8 years with teams here, but stepped up. After a tough loss with 15 shots on net to one against they stepped it up to tie #1 ranked club team in WA, then beat the #2 ranked WA team, then in the final game go up 1-0 at half to the #1 ranked OR team before losing by one in the second. This team had a few very nice goal first from Jack playing a great whipped in ball at full speed to a great header by Braeden between two defenders. Trask also had a very pretty goal our last game taking the ball off his chest to a wicked dipping volley.  Some of the best goals I saw from any of the games from any teams.
A very strong showing AK can compete with the best in the Northwest!