The Crossfire Premier ’93 girls under-14 soccer team was recently named 2008 state champions at the U.S. Youth Soccer Washington State Championship tournament, held at the Starfire Soccer Complex in Tukwila.

Snoqualmie Valley area residents on the team include Gwen Bieck, Laura Hisler, Maggie Pleis and McKenna Swanson.

The Crossfire Premier Soccer Club is the advanced development program of the Lake Washington Youth Soccer Association (LWYSA), which is based in Kirkland.

The team is coached by Todd Schilperoort and was the Washington state champion team in 2007 and 2005, and runner-up in 2006. On Saturday, March 10, the Crossfire ’93 Girls team beat Westsound FC from Kitsap in the Washington state final by a score of 4-1 to win the 2008 championship title.

The victory qualifies the Crossfire Premier ’93 team to advance to the U.S. Youth Soccer Far West Regional Tournament, to be held June 16 through June 22 in Honolulu, Hawaii.

State champion teams from Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Hawaii, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, and Wyoming will all compete at regionals in hopes of winning a spot in the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship series, to be decided in July. Last year, the Crossfire ’93 girls team advanced all the way to the semi-finals round at the Far West Regionals in Las Vegas. Their goal this year is to win the final at regionals and advance to nationals.