FC Sarasota impressive in tourney

MANATEE COUNTY — After watching her former team — the Sarasota Storm — dismantle, Marissa Milko began looking for a new team that would allow her to improve her skills while also providing her with collegiate exposure.

The Lakewood Ranch sophomore discovered FC Sarasota, and for the past 10 months, Milko has been a part of the league’s U16 girls team. The first-year team is predominately a combination of former Sarasota Storm and Manatee Magic players.

“It’s a really cool team,” Milko said. “This team works really hard, and when we work off of each other, then everything works out really well.”

Teammate Marissa Martineau, a sophomore at Bayshore High, agreed.

“We’re all very hardworking,” she said. “Every practice, we try and get better, and we all encourage each other. This is the first team that I’ve been on where everyone gets along and plays with the same intensity level.”

Following tryouts in June, the team began preparing for its regular season, which ran from August through October. Additionally, the girls have played in three college showcases, including the Orange Classic and Score at the Shore, which they won.

“The girls are mainly sophomores, so this is a critical year in the recruiting process for those that want it,” coach David Quintero said.

Most recently, the girls played in the opening round of the Florida Youth Soccer Association State Cup Tournament. The team finished second in their bracket with a 1-1-1 record. The girls defeated West Pines 1-0, tied Leg-A-Z Soccer Academy 0-0 and fell to Florida Soccer Alliance 4-1.

The girls, one of five FC Sarasota teams to advance to the second round of the tournament, now will face teams from Weston, Coral Springs and Boca Raton April 17-18 in Viera. Of the 20 U16 girls teams participating, the top 16 teams will advance to the Sweet 16 May 8-9.

“I think we’re very prepared, and if we work hard, then I think we’ll have a good outcome and be able to move on,” Martineau said. “We just have to stay together and keep focused.”

Milko agreed.

“I think we’re going to do really well,” she said. “If we work together then we’ll be able to pull out the wins we need to get to the n ext round.”

Following the State Cup, the girls will begin preparing to tryout for the U17 girls team with the hopes of traveling to North Carolina for the Big Raleigh College Showcase in early December.

“As the season has gone on, they’ve progressed quite a bit,” Quintero said. “When I began coaching this team, I told them it was going to be a three-year project that would take them through their senior year. My ultimate goal for the girls is not (winning) the State Cup but furthering their education through the game of soccer.”

For more information on FC Sarasota visit the league’s Web site at www.fcsarasota.com.

Contact Jen Blanco at [email protected].

SWEET SUCCESS
FC Sarasota participated in the opening round of the Florida Youth Soccer Association State Cup Tournament March 27-28. Five teams advanced with four teams advancing to the Sweet 16.

• The U14 girls team won their bracket with a 2-0-1 record. The team defeated the Clearwater Chargers 2-1 and the Melbourne Tsunami 2-1 and tied Weston Premier 1-1. The girls will now advance to the Sweet 16 May 8-9 in Palm Bay.

• The U14 boys team defeated the Wellington Wave 5-1 and Weston Premier 2-1 to win their bracket. The team will now advance to the Sweet 16 May 8-9 in Wellington.

• The U16 boys team won their bracket with a 1-1 record — defeating the Plantation Eagles 3-1 before falling to Weston 2-1. The team will now advance to the Sweet 16 May 8-9 in Wellington.

• The U18 girls team finished second in its bracket with a 2-1 record. The girls defeated Weston 2-1 and Central Florida 3-0 before falling 1-0 to Team Boca. The team will now advance to the Sweet 16 May 8 in Palm Bay.