Soccer: Rays 99G Make Top Eight in Norcal State Cup

Editor's Note: The following article was submitted to Patch by Anu Subramanian. To send a story to Patch, please e-mail miriam@patch.com.

The Burlingame Rays 99G team is now ranked as one of the top eight teams in the U12 age group and will now compete to become the U12 Norcal State Cup Champion for the Fall 2011 season.The team has played six State Cup seeding rounds and is undefeated so far. 

A total of 92 teams entered into the championship, and based on the Rays' performance so far, they are ranked fifth. Making it to the coveted Top Eight bracket means that the Rays 99G are one of the elite teams in Northern California. Look here for current bracket placement and schedule information.
 
The team began the first round of NorCal State Cup preliminary seeding games in October 2011, with 6-0, 6-1, 4-0 wins over their opponents. Then, Dec. 4 through Jan. 15, 2012, the Rays won their second round state seeding games 4-1, 4-2 and 1-0 to make their way into the Top Eight bracket. The Rays will now face MFC Newcastle 99G in the Red Division quarter final to be held Jan. 21.
 
The girls have much to be proud of. They showed great resolve and spirit as they won some hard-fought games on their way to this bracket. Their focus and dedication to their team and their training has enabled them to rise to the occasion several times during this competition.
 
The Rays players look forward to the quarter-final game this weekend. In the meantime, they return to the practice pitch to continue their training for the upcoming games.
 
About the 99G Rays
The Rays are coached by Luciano Fusco. The objective is to establish a good foundation for the girls and facilitate future developmental stages. Coach Luciano places player and team development above winning. Players are encouraged to take risks in their game without the fear of losing.
 
Additionally, the Rays practice and play at facilities that include different playing surfaces – futsal flooring, turf and grass – while using varying pieces of soccer equipment that provide a broad spectrum of learning and conditioning opportunities. To learn more about the team, look here.
  
The Rays welcome talented players to tryout and join the team. The team consists of girls with birthdates between August 1,1999 and July 31,2000. If your player’s birthdate falls in this age range, please email alliance99g@gmail.com to inquire about participating in an upcoming practice.