U14-U19 NorCal State Cup Finals Recap

From the opening whistle Saturday morning to the final kick of the ball late Sunday night, NorCal Premier Soccer’s 2016-17 State Cup Finals delivered seemingly something different in each match.Contested on the pristine playing surfaces at Cosumnes River College, the weekend featured wild shootouts, defensive struggles, blowouts, comebacks, and, yes, the dreaded kicks from the mark.

While divisions ranging from the Copper Bracket all the way up to the State Bracket each were competitive and well supported, the quality of play was what really shone through on a sunny weekend in which the weather was hot enough at times to prompt referees to give hydration breaks in the middle of each half.

SCHEDULES AND RESULTS

Focusing in on the State Division, though, two clubs stood above the rest in terms of achievement onthe field: Davis Legacy and Lamorinda United. Both clubs won a pair of State Division titles over the weekend, and were the only two that collected multiple state division cups this season. Furthermore, Lamorinda head coach Bilal Samy had the unique distinction of being the only person at his position to lead two separate teams to State Cup glory.

Five of the 10 teams also completed NPL Champions League and State Cup doubles over the weekend, with Davis Legacy (U16 and U19 girls), FC Elk Grove (U15 girls), Placer United (U14 girls), and Lamorinda United (U15 boys) all achieving the pinnacle of success at the end of a grueling season.