Front Row Left to Right: Josh Duncan (Eureka High), Sergio Marquez (Fortuna High), Geovanney Ramirez (Fortuna High), Levi Robbins (Arcata High), Gabe Sanchez (Arcata High), Skylar Carroll (Eureka High), Luis Melecio (McKinleyville High)  Back Row Left to Right:  Assistant Coach Tim Olson, Diego Marquez (Fortuna High), Andy Miranda (Arcata High), Caleb Coke (McKinleyville High), Zach Oakland (Arcata High), Sean Handl (Arcata High), Conor Barres (Eureka High), Kai Gallegos (Eureka High), Connor Olson (Arcata High), Head Coach Ed Handl

Writes a Mad River United parent:

The Mad River United Elite U-17 boys team (MRU), made up of 15- and 16-year-olds from Fortuna to McKinleyville, headed up to Oregon this past weekend for the FC Portland Winter College Showcase soccer tournament.  Facing a division with 18 strong teams from at least five different states and college scouts from around the Northwestern United States and Canada looking on, these boys proved once again that a small-town squad can hold its own against these well-funded metropolitan teams. 

 

Their first match up was against Utah’s top U-17 team. MRU dominated this match from the start and walked away with a 4-0 win (goals from Sergio Marquez, Diego Marquez, Caleb Coke and Andy Miranda). 

In their second match, MRU came out strong against the host team FC Portland.  The team worked together well, controlling the pace of the game and holding a solid defensive line.  In the end, with the help of two goals scored by Caleb Coke (assisted by Levi Robbins and Kai Gallegos), MRU ended that match with a 2-0 victory. 

Their third match-up was against Idaho’s top squad.  MRU continued to hold an impenetrable defensive line during this game.  Working exceptionally well together, Geovanney Ramirez, Luis Melecio, Sean Handl and Conor Barres pulled off yet another clean sheet.  With a hard shot on frame, Josh Duncan helped to secure a 1-0 victory for MRU.  

In their final game of the tournament, MRU faced a highly ranked team out of Washington state.  This match-up proved to be one the toughest for the team.  In the first five minutes of the game, Washington snuck in the only goal scored against the MRU the entire weekend.  Fighting hard and working together, the MRU managed to dominate possession of the ball for the remainder of the match.  While a number of shots were either blocked or just off target, Diego Marquez managed to sneak in a goal for MRU during a swarm of players working to attack off of a corner kick.  This tied up the game midway through the second half.  While MRU continued their 70% possession of the ball, time ran out before they were able to find the net again.
 
Over the course of this three-day tournament, MRU put 8 goals on frame, allowing only 1 against them.  Sitting atop the leaderboard for much of the tournament, the MRU landed a second-place finish, just one spot behind a team sponsored by Xbox and run by the Seattle Sounders (pro soccer team out of Seattle).  This turned the heads of many college scouts, getting these Humboldt County natives one step closer to their dreams.