Northern California women's professional soccer team dominates in two separate leagues

SUPERSTARS OF THE WEEK. THE CALIFORNIA STORM IS BACK TO THEIR WINNING WAYS AFTER A SHUTOUT VICTORY OVER THE WEEKEND. THE STORM CLINCHED THE USL W NORTHERN CALIFORNIA CHAMPIONSHIP LAST YEAR. THE SQUAD FINISHED SECOND IN THEIR INAUGURAL SEASON IN THE USL, W I’M NOT SURPRISED BY THE GIRLS SUCCESS. THEY’RE AN EXTREMELY TALENTED GROUP OF YOUNG WOMEN. UM, THEY PLAY HARD. THEY’RE VERY DEDICATED TO THE GAME AND TO BETTERING THEMSELVES AS ATHLETES. SO YEAH, NO SURPRISES AND A GOOD LOOK AT THAT. WE FINISHED. BUT SINCE JOINING THE USL W LAST SEASON, THE CALIFORNIA STORM CONTINUES TO BE A MEMBER OF THE W WSL WHERE THEY HAVE WON FOUR NATIONAL TITLES. BUT NOW THEY MUST SPLIT THEIR SQUAD TO PLAY IN TWO PROFESSIONAL LEAGUES DURING ONE SEASON. I THINK THERE’S DEFINITELY PROS AND CONS TO BOTH, BUT FOR ME PERSONALLY, I THINK IT’S AN ADVANTAGE BECAUSE WE CAN REACH MORE ATHLETES IN THE COMMUNITY. IT GIVES MORE WOMEN AN OPPORTUNITY TO PLAY AND TO COMPETE AT A HIGH LEVEL. AND ACCORDING TO JAMIE LAVOY, 85% OF HER ROSTER IS MADE UP WITH PLAYERS FROM THE SACRAMENTO REGION, INCLUDING SACRAMENTO NATIVE SUZY LONG, WHO PLAYED AT MCCLATCHY HIGH SCHOOL BEFORE HEADING TO PLAY CURRENTLY FOR HARBORD. THERE’S SO MANY GIRLS COMING FROM EVERYWHERE AND IT’S FANTASTIC TO BE PART OF A GROUP THAT’S SO COHESIVE. EVEN THOUGH WE’RE COMING FROM ALL OVER THE COUNTRY, AND THERE’S ALSO SUCH HISTORY WITH THE TEAM, SO BEING A PART OF IT AND ITS LEGACY AND GETTING TO COMPETE AND MAKE HISTORY IS FANTASTIC SUZY IS ONE OF MANY PLAYERS ON THE ROSTER THAT PLAY IN COLLEGE. DURING THE FALL, BUT WHEN SHE JOINS THE CALIFORNIA STORM FOR THE SUMMER, SUZY AND OTHER PLAYERS FROM DIFFERENT COLLEGES MUST COME TOGETHER AS ONE. IT CAN BE CHALLENGING BECAUSE EVERY COACH OR COLLEGIATE PROGRAM HAS A DIFFERENT STYLE OF PLAY. UM, AND SO FOR US, BRINGING IN PLAYERS FROM ALL DIFFERENT COLLEGES, WE LOOK AT THE TALENT THAT WE HAVE AND TRY TO FIGURE OUT THE BEST FORMATION FOR OUR GROUP AND BUILD OUR STYLE BASED ON THAT. BUT THERE’S SUCH GREAT ATHLETES THAT THEY, IN THEIR VERY SMART TACTICALLY THAT I THINK IT JUST TAKES A SMALL TIME TO TO WORK TOGETHER AND TO REALLY BUILD THAT OUT. AND DESPITE THEIR COMPETITIVE SPIRIT ON THE FIELD, LET’S GO. GO. WHO WON THE LAST ONE? THEIR LEVEL OF PLAY IS KEPT AT A HIGH LEVEL. WHILE THEY HAVE FUN. YEAH. KEEP GOING, KEEP GOING. HERE WE GO FOR ME PLAYING FOR THE CALIFORNIA STORM IS LITERALLY JUST LIKE COMING HOME AND HAVING FUN. AND HONESTLY, HAVING A HOME TEAM IS REALLY NICE TO JUST COME PLAY WITH AND PLAY WITH GIRLS THAT I KIND OF GREW UP PLAYING WITH OR YOUNGER NEW FACES THAT I HAVEN’T PLAYED WITH BEFORE, BUT GREW UP IN THE COMMUNITY. UM, SO YEAH, IT’S JUST A FUN TIME FOR ME. BUT ALSO STILL COMPETITIVE BECAUSE IT’S STILL LIKE THE BEST PLAYERS IN THE AREA. CAL STORM ON 3123 START. THERE YOU GO. SO AFTER WINNING THEIR USL W NORTHERN CALIFORNIA DIVISION, THE CALIFORNIA STORM WON THE NPSL NORCAL DIVISION LAST NIGHT, GIVING THEM TWO LEAGUE DIVISION TITLES IN ONE YEAR, MAKING THEM CHAMPIONS IN BOTH LEAGUES. NOW. THEIR USL W WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF MATCH IS TOMORROW NIGHT