Montgomery County athletes were key in the recent 2022 U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship. Coppa Rage, the victors, becomes the first Phila.-area players to take that title since 1976, reports Andrew Robinson for PR PrepLive.

In the final, rising junior Emma Levin (Hatboro-Horsham H.S) scored just 35 seconds into the fray against Tonka Fusion Elite of Minn.

Her expertise on the pitch was augmented by the work of Taylor Mays (Pennsbury H.S., Fairless Hills) and Samantha Ridler (North Penn H.S., Lansdale).

In that last match, Mays assessed early that her team’s array of weapons — offensive players needing diligent Tonka Fusion defense — outnumbered the threats Fusion posed itself.

But the victory was no cakewalk. The opening game saw the locals facing a Dallas foe that had beaten them before. And by halftime, Coppa Rage was down 2–0.

The championship loss the year prior — when Coppa Rage came up short in the final — became a motivator.

“Remembering what it was like watching another team get the medals was really motivating, Mays said. “We looked at each other, and you could see we all knew we weren’t going to lose.”

Coppa Rage came back for a 3–2 victory, advancing toward its ultimate crown.

The Montco DNA wasn’t just between players: Coach Tom DeGeorge is in the Arcadia University (Glenside) soccer Hall of Fame.

More on the Coppa Rage victory is at PR PrepLive.