Greensboro, NC – South Georgia Tormenta FC’s ’07 DPL team based in Savannah, Georgia played with intense conviction at the After an opening 3-0 victory over New York Long Island at the Girls Academy Spring Showcase held at Brown’s Summit, North Carolina, the victories kept rolling in for the Tormenta FC 2007-born Girls DPL team, as they remained undefeated by closing out the weekend with a pair of 3-3 draws with San Diego Albion SC and the Southern Soccer Academy. A total of 48 top-level U17 girls teams from across the USA assembled at James Island Bryan Park Soccer Complex to conclude the 2023-24 soccer season.
In their second game of the tournament, after Albion SC took an early lead, Tee Headman slotted in a rebound into the lower right corner after Selena Duncan dribbled through traffic and shot on net.
Albion SC took the lead again, and led 2-1 heading into the second half. Duncan made another splendid pass over to Ella Peterson at the edge of the 18’ box, who ripped a shot right over the keeper’s head to knot the score.
Shortly after, Peterson returned the favor, crossing the ball over to Duncan, who cushioned it, let it roll down her leg, and then booted it into the lower left corner to give Tormenta FC its first lead. With 10 minutes remaining, Albion managed to tie up the score once more.
Kamryn Martinez, Tormenta FC’s goalkeeper, made a diving save to her right to preserve the tie. “I feel like we controlled the game, and we stayed down the middle,” said the Richmond Hill native. “I also received a lot of help today from centerbacks Ellie Gallagher and Raigen Young.”
In their final game, Tee Headman netted all three of Tormenta FC’s goals, leading to a tie against the top-seeded team in their bracket, Atlanta’s Southern Soccer Academy.
Headman, who also runs track and field, and plays flag football and basketball, not to mention scuba diving, zig-zagged by the last defender and shot top right to open the game’s scoring. SSA took a 2-1 lead into the half. In the second half, the defense worked the ball forward, and Kate Clark made a slick move to scoot by a defender, and passed the ball to Headman, who tied the score by using her left foot to surprise the keeper.
Late in the game, Headman was substituted back in, as SSA held a slim 3-2 lead. She and Duncan were applying pressure, Headman stole the ball and dribbled down the field, and completed her hat trick from the right side with a low shot into the far left corner.
“Kamryn, our keeper, played great, and she was the biggest reason we tied,” said Headman, whose brother TJ plays MLS Next with Tormenta. And Raigan checked people down all game long, she is the glue of our defense. Ending the season this way, against such excellent competition, was a ‘we made it’ moment for all us for sure!”
Head Coach Jim Robbins was extremely pleased with the results at the showcase. “I’m proud, really proud, of how well we played, doing all the right things. We stuck to our style, and played very physical. They have made excellent progress,” said Robbins, who also coaches Tormenta FC’s USL W League team.
