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Cup gives soccer fans a boost By DAVID DAUGHERTY In its seven years of existence, the Rogue Valley Cup soccer tournament has grown from a nice idea to something on the grand scale of a military invasion force. Over the Memorial Day weekend, 133 soccer teams that included some 3,000 players from Oregon, Washington, California, Nevada and Idaho ascended on Medford in a tidal wave of sports utility vehicles to be a part of the action. "We�ve made this a premiere tournament," said tournament committee member Ron Zielke. "That draws a lot of teams, and people are treated well and like to come to the Rogue Valley." "We�ve already made reservations for next year," said Jeff Enquist, former Pacific University men�s soccer coach and the director of Portland�s Club United which brought 12 teams to the tournament. "It�s something we look forward to every year." The tournament, which also injects a couple of million dollars into the local economy, also allows boys and girls to showcase their skills, play lots of games and compete against some of the premiere soccer clubs on the West Coast. "There�s a vast selection of high-quality soccer," said 17-year-old Cali Pratt from Truckee, Calif. "It�s fairly close to travel, has really good competition and is organized well." Pratt, who plays for Nevada�s Reno-Sparks Lightning, settled for a fourth-place finish in the U-17 girls bracket, but still left the Rogue Valley in a good frame of mind. "I think everyone enters this thinking they have a good chance to win," said Pratt. "This is more like a vacation for us. It�s not as bad when you don�t win. If we would have been playing in Las Vegas, this would have been a lot tougher to swallow." Do not misunderstand Pratt�s or anyone else�s words, behind their happy-go-lucky facade�s, winning is important for both players and coaches at the Rogue Valley Cup. "Our coach expected us to win this," said Portland�s Brian Yarne, a member of the PCU Illusion U-14 boys premiere team. "We�ve beaten every team here and we know their players." But Yarne and his PCU Illusion teammates had to settle for third place in their division after posting a 3-0-2 record over the weekend. "We felt okay because we didn�t lose," said Yarne, a 14-year-old who will attend Portland�s Lincoln High next fall. "Against tough teams we were there to play, but against the lesser teams we didn�t show up all the time." On the other side of Yarne and his teammates� disappointment in the boys U-14 division were the RVSC Rapids from Medford, who walked away with the title for the second straight year. "We do this to win and for the experience," said 14-year-old St. Mary�s student Michael Staver. "You get a good look at a lot of teams. It�s pretty cool." The three-day tournament can be very grueling. Teams play two games a day, with the winners playing six games in three days and others guaranteed at least four games during their stay. "It�s tough because you play two teams a day," said Staver. "It�s a killer. " "Every tournament is tough," adds Pratt. "You�re guaranteed a lot more games here and your body just wears out." With such a grueling schedule, local teams may have an advantage in the tournament. While the out-of-state clubs have to travel and sleep in strange beds and eat fast food, local clubs don�t have their schedules altered and are familiar with fields and most referees. "I like this because we don�t have to travel," said Staver. "That�s a good thing because I can�t stand hotels." "It�s here, it�s fun and it�s comforting," said Medford�s Stephanie Mendenhall, a 14-year-old eighth-grader at Grace Christian School. "We have to represent our town." Though most of the out-of-town competitors are in unfamiliar surroundings, the thrill of a new experience is a plus. "I look forward to getting away from home because it�s exciting," said 14-year-old Reno Desert Stars player Nicole Ross. "You get to hang out and play soccer. Those are my favorite things to do. I�m just disappointed I didn�t get to do any shopping." Monday�s Results BOYS U-19 � Championship final: RSU FC, Reno, NV, d. ASC Torrent, Ashland, 4-0; Consolation final: Humbold Steelheads, Arcata, Calif., d. Fury, Reno, NV, 5-2. U-17 � Championship final: Coyotes, Klamath Falls, d. RVSC Crew, Medford, 1-0; Consolation final: ACC Mavericks, Richmond, Calif., d. TNT United, Truckee, Calif., 7-0. U-16 � Championship final: DeAnza Triumph, San Jose, Calif., d. DVSC Eclipse, Sacramento, Calif., 2-0; Consolation final: RVSC Infereno, Medford, d. PCU Diamondbacks, Portland, 2-1. U-15 � Championship final: RSU United, Reno, NV, d. Ashland FC, 1-0; Consolation final: S. Valley United Swift, Eugene, d. Tahoe Premier, Stateline, NV, 5-1. U-14 � Championship final: RVSC Rapids, Medford, d. TNT Blast, Tahoe City, Calif., 3-1; Consolation final: PCU Illusion, Portland, d. S. Tahoe Galaxy, Lake Tahoe, Calif., 5-3. U-13 � Championship final: ASC Summit, Ashland, d. Eruption, Tahoe City, Calif., 2-0; Consolation final: RVSC Vipers, Medford, d. Revolution, Reno, NV, 2-0. U-12 � Championship final: CUSC Reign, Corvallis, d. Santos, Hillsboro, 5-0; Consolation final: RVSC Revolution, Medford, d. GPSC Blast, Grants Pass, 2-0. U-11 � Championship final: TTS Avalanche, Tualatin, d. Avalanche, Lake Tahoe, Calif., 4-1; Consolation final: West Metro Storm, Portland, d. Extreme, Bend, 2-0. GIRLS U-19 � Championship final: Silverwings FC, Reno, NV, d. RVSC Magic, Medford, 3-0; Consolation final: TRSC Bohica, Central Point, d. Tahoe SOL, Lake Tahoe, Calif., 5-0. U-17 � Championship final: HSA Eagles, Des Moines, Wa., d. RVSC United, Medford, 2-1; Consolation final: THUSC Lightning, Portland, d. RSU Lightning, Reno, NV, 6-0. U-16 � Championship final: RVSC Blackhawks, Medford, d. Humboldt United, Arcata, Calif., 7-2; Consolation final: INXS, Minden, NV, d. Mirage, Sacramento, Calif., 2-1. U-15 � Championship final: Storm, Lake Oswego, d. PCU Talons, Portland, 4-0; Consolation final: RVSC Express, Medford, d. Jefferson State Velocity, Grants Pass, 4-1. U-14 Premiere � Championship final: Davis Impact, Davis, Calif., d. RVSC Storm, Medford, 1-0; Consolation final: Humboldt United Lightning, Arcata, Calif., d. RVSC Tsunami, Medford, 2-0. U-14 Classic � Championship final: ASC Nova, Ashland, d. AFC Valkyrie, Phoenix, 2-1; Consolation final: High Energy, Gardnerville, NV, d. RVSC Ultimate, Medford, 4-2. U-13 � Championship final: RVSC Fury, Medford, d. PCU Blur, Portland, 2-1; Consolation final: ESS Rebels, Eugene, d. RVSC Avalanche, Medford, 2-1. U-12 � Championship final: PCU Knockouts, Portland, d. CUSC Reign, Corvallis, 3-2; Consolation final: Arcata Lightning, Arcata, Calif., d. Hillsboro Threat, Hillsboro, 2-1. U-11 � Championship final: RVSC Xplosion, Medford, d. PCU Shabang, Portland, 3-0. Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA