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National Champions Hall of Honor
U-15 Girls USYSA Presidents Cup
2012 National Champion

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Playing a player down for 70 minutes and battling through two overtime periods, the Greensboro United U15 Navy Girls defeated the Dallas Texans 2-1 in the summer of 2012 to win the US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup National Championship in Sacramento, California.

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It was this kind of play that characterized the team during its years together…determination, perseverance, commitment, character.

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Thanks to an Eynde Frazier strike from 10 yards, Greensboro United took a 1-0 lead late in the first half. But with five minutes remaining in the half, a straight red card call on Rachel Sharkey caused the Greensboro girls to play with 10 players for the remainder of the day. Early in the second half, the Texans tied the game, forcing two 15-minute overtime periods, which the girls entered with both momentum and a renewed sense of energy. Allexis Taylor took a pass from Frazier with seven minutes remaining in the first overtime period and beat the Texas keeper for the 2-1 Greensboro lead. Texas furiously pounded the ball forward looking for the equalizer, but Krysten Coble was able to turn away the chances.

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“It was a very emotional game,” coach Julie Isley stated after the game. “After we got the red card, the girls were down for a very short period of time, but this team has a lot of character and they showed it today. The way they responded was tremendous.”

 To reach the championship match, Greensboro United scored two goals in a six-minute span of the second half to secure a 3-2 win over Colorado United in the first game of the championship, a game featured by Candice Corcoran’s acrobatic, goal-line header to deny Colorado a sure goal in the 28th minute.

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“Getting a win in your first game was very important in a tournament like that,” said coach Isley. “It put us in a solid position. We had to be sure we were ready for Friday’s game.”  They were, with a second-half goal that gave the girls a trip to the national championship.  “I was very proud of the entire team and the way we played all weekend against tremendous competition,” said coach Julie Isley after the game.

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The team had earned a spot in the regionals by winning the North Carolina Presidents State Cup. Isley’s team had little doubt they would be heading to California.  “From the very start, they were making plans to go to Sacramento,” said Isley.  They won all three of their group games in the regionals to advance to the semis, outscoring their opponents 11-1, and won their semifinal by defeating Tennessee’s East Ridge Express 2-1. Henry was the hero of the thrilling semifinal, scoring with less than two minutes remaining.

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Each step of the way Coach Isley stressed to the girls that they would have some very tough games ahead that would require their very best.  They were adamant that they were going to win and would go to California.

Now, seven years later, the North Carolina Soccer Hall of Fame recognizes the team as one of two new honorees in its National Champions Hall of Honor, established in 2012 to honor North Carolina teams that have won national championships. The team stands in tall company and richly deserves the honor.