After 23 Years, This Westport Girl’s Youth Soccer Team Is a Division 1 Champ

For the first time in 23 years, a championship was brought home and one Westport soccer team is celebrating a very prestigious accomplishment.

The Westport United Youth Soccer girls team recently won the fifth-grade division for the 2022 South Coast Soccer League Division 1 and now move on to the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions hosted by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association.

This is the first fifth-grade team to represent Westport United Youth Soccer in the Massachusetts Tournament of Champions hosted by the Massachusetts Youth Soccer Association.

To put this all into perspective, the last girl's team to simply enter the tournament from Westport did so 23 years ago.

"I am so proud of these girls. They have grown into skilled players," Sonia Nickleson, mom to one of the players, told Fun 107. "I love watching their games and seeing them develop into true athletes."

Consisting of third-, fourth- and fifth-graders, the girls were also the Division 2 champions for fall 2021 season.

As for this year, the girls held onto an impressive 6-and-2 record for the season. The playoffs took place June 18 against the Fairhaven Mariners, Westport winning 3-1. Westport later faced Dartmouth in the championship game and won 3-0.

The 2022 Division 1 champs are coached by Justin Gendreau and assistant coaches Keith Nickelson and Paul Krzyston.

The winning team includes Ella Camara, Maddison Wenson, Lily Veracka, Bailey Hart, Sophia Nickelson, Reese Markovich, Margaret Twomey, Lily Cipollini, Ella Pereira, Isabella Krzyston, Autumn Pereira, Peyton Gendreau, Mallory Crocker and Vera Rodrigues.

The first state tournament game is June 24.