State Cup soccer preview for girls divisions U14-U15. Games begin Saturday.

U14 Girls

San Tan Legacy ’96 Red – The San Tan girls, led by head coach Kevin Campbell finished fourth in the Arizona State League Division II and a second in the Tucson Soccer Academy tournament.

Campbell, who has coached the girls since last summer, led them through the transition from Open League to State League.

“The season has pushed the players to perform at a higher level,” he said. “They have faced victory and defeat together throughout the season.

“I had been away from coaching for a number of years raising small kids of my own. What a pleasure it was for me to step back into it with this group of girls. They should all be proud of the accomplishments throughout the season, but not settle for where they are at today.”

Banat ’96 Gold – Head coach Jon Ruzan led the team to a first place finish in the Arizona State League Division I.

AZ Hammers North – Hammers North, led by head coach William Weir, finished eighth in the Arizona State League Division I. The team made it to the finals in the Banat Southwest Challenge 2010 and to the championships at the Patriot’s Cup and Soccer at the Summit.

Gilbert Arsenal ’96 Premier – Head coach Matt Smith led the ’96 Premier to first place finishes in the TSA Tournament, the Arsenal Challenge, and the Anaheim Spring Classic. The team also reached the semifinals in the Sereno Tournament.

“This team has really come on this year, beating several teams that it has struggled against in past years,” Smith said. “We are looking forward to a long State Cup. The girls get along well and have really supported each other all year.”

Sereno South ’96 White – The team, led by head coach John DeMartini, placed third in the Arizona State League Division II.

AZ Rush ’96 Nike – The girls, coached by Chris Sydney, placed fifth finish in the Arizona State League Division II.

Alliance FC ’96 – The team, headed by coach Mark Wilson, placed second in the Arizona State League Division I.

AZ Hammers ’96 – The team, led by head coach David Cameron, finished second in the Arizona State League Division II.

DFSC Desert Elite ’96 Red – The team, headed by coach Rick Tilmans, finished seventh in the Arizona State League Division I.

SC del sol Richardson – Head coach Ollie Richardson led the U14 girls to a third place finish in the Arizona State League Division I.

Sereno ’96 White – The girls, who are coached by Paul Lester, won the TSA Tournament championship, the Sereno Soccer Classic and the Sereno College Showcase.

TSA ’96 Red - Head coach Lisa Fraser led the TSA Red girls to a sixth place finish in the Arizona State League Division I.

AZ Sting Gold – Head coach and founder Kim Byrnes started the club two years ago after a long coaching career with other clubs.

“We are different from other clubs in that we focus on club culture as well as playing,” Byrnes said. “All the girls and parents throughout the whole club know each other. We have multiple club events every year.”

The girls are required to do community service: They help out at events like Special Olympics.

“We are more than just a club,” Byrnes said. “We really work hard to prepare the girls for the rest of their lives, whether their futures hold more soccer or not.”

U15 Girls

MSC United – Pinnacle – The 95 MSC United Pinnacle Girls, called PMU, are a combination of the MSC United ‘95 girls and the Pinnacle ‘95 girls.

“At the end of last year both teams needed players to continue playing at our same competitive level and we all decided to come together and join into one team,” said Jim Thames, one of two head coaches for the team “The unusual part of this all was the distance between the two groups - one is in Mesa and one is in north Scottsdale - and the team has still done well.”

Chris Webb, the other head coach, and Thames led the team to a first place finish this season in the Arizona State League Division II, and finished without a loss. The girls also won the U18 division of the MSC United Patriot's Cup tournament in November.

“One of the unique things about this team is how well the girls get along and how much they like each other,” Thames said. “They came together out of necessity and have become stronger because of it. There are a lot of good teams in state cup and the team is looking forward to playing well and doing their very best.”

Classic ’95 Lady Storm – Head coach Sean Kelly has coached the ’95 Classic girls for four years, and is their original coach. The team also has 10 original players.

“This is a team full of multi-sport athletes who do not want to or do not have time to devote themselves only to soccer,” Kelly said. “Because of this, we have trouble getting fields and have had many of our players leave for more serious teams.”

Despite the hardships, the girls have played well and took first in the Arizona Open Cup this season. Next season, they will be playing in the Arizona State League.

“Our team goal in longevity,” Kelly said. “We want to keep the girls together for another season and still be as competitive as we can. The girls really like each other and are having a great time.”

CDO Edge – Head coach Steve Wallace has led the CDO Edge for three years, seeing the team from a developmental level to playing this season in Division II of the Arizona State League.

“We have done quite well in tournaments over the past two seasons, making the semifinals or better in eight competitions,” Wallace said.

He said the girls are prepared for the tough competition they will face during State Cup, and he expects many close games.

“Our objectives are to try and reduce the mistakes that have cost us games in the past, and take chances when we have them, as inconsistency has been our biggest enemy,” Wallace said. “Still, the best thing about this group of players - aside from their personality - is that when they play together well, it is really fun to watch.”