This weekend Royal Oak Youth Soccer Association had eight teams in the Portage Soccer Tournament just outside of Kalamazoo.

Coach Shannon Pietras coached both her U9 Girls teams.  The Green team and the White. The Green team went undefeated including the finals to win their division.

The White team won their first game, tied their second which sent them to the semi-finals.

In the semi-final game the little girls played with big hearts.

They were down by two goals but never gave up.

They came back from down two then went down by another goal yet still managed to rally to tie the game forcing overtime.

Had they won, the two ROYSA teams would have played each other in the finals but it was not in the cards.

The highly ranked Portage team scored in overtime handing the U9 girls the only loss of the weekend.

Both teams of young girls left the pitch with their heads held high - the Green team, as division champions and the White team because they played with so much heart.

No losers: a tale of two winners.

Source: Richard J. Saro