REDMOND – The 2011 girls Basin Sounders swept through this past weekend’s Crossfire Select Cup in Redmond, bringing home a title with a 2-0 win over Wenatchee FC in the tournament’s final on Sunday.

This was the first time that the team had okayed in an 11-on-11-style tournament, Head Coach Rachel Mohs said.

“As a coach, I was actually really nervous because this was the first tournament that my girls have ever played 11 versus 11,” Mohs said. “In the years prior we were nine versus nine and seven versus seven. We were gradually working up, so this was the first year and season we’ve been 11 versus 11.”

The Sounders opened the tournament with a 9-0 win over Seattle United, featuring goals scored by Reese Char (four), Paisley Sly (two), Payton Ross, Layla Garcia and Lyric Nishida.

“We did some scrimmage preps before, and we came out and rocked that game,” Mohs said.

In the next game Rafaela Arnberg, Ross and Garcia scored in a 3-0 win over Portland City United Soccer Club on Saturday morning, and later in the afternoon, a hat trick by Sly led the way to a 7-1 win over Seattle Celtic. Garcia, Ross, Cher and Nishida also scored in the win.

“We talk a lot about visualizing and building each other up, how to motivate each other,” Mohs said. “The age these girls are in, (fifth through seventh grade), it’s really critical years where girls in this age tend to get down on themselves. We do a lot of team building and uplifting, cheering each other on. Doesn’t matter who scores the goals, we’re all going to win as a team.”

On Sunday, a goal by Char allowed the Sounders to reach the final with a win over Highline Premier FC in the semifinals. The win set up a match against Wenatchee FC in the final, where Sly and Ilyssa Allred scored in a 2-0 win.

With the tournament win, Mohs said the team will be moving up into the silver division at the team’s next tournament.

“We want to show the girls more competition now, so we’re going to bump them up into the next division next tournament,” Mohs said.

Two other Basin Sounders teams reached the semifinals in their respective divisions; The girls 2007/2008 team coached by Lisha Ribellia and the girls 2009 team coached by Brad Morrison.

Ian Bivona may be reached at [email protected]. Send your sports photos to him for possible publication.