ADAMS TWP — Three years ago, Northern Steel's under-13 girls soccer team could barely get out of its own way.

Now, as the organization's under-16 squad, nobody better get in its way.

The under-16 Ice join the under-15 boys as Northern Steel's only teams to reach the USAClub Soccer Nationals this summer. The nationals run Saturday through July 25 in Greensboro, N.C.

"Frankly, this team wasn't very good three years ago,"said Blair Gerlach, Northern Steel's under-16 team coach. "They played in an eight-team league and finished seventh.

"I had to do a lot of teaching back then."

Now he does a lot of watching.

"I get to be a fan now,"Gerlach said. "These girls practically coach themselves. It's a pleasure to watch them play."

Gerlach has coached this same group of girls every year since they played under-13 soccer, moving up in age division each season.

"Northern Steel's general policy is to shuffle its coaches around every two years,"Gerlach said. "On rare occasions, a coach finds chemistry with a certain group of players and they stay together."

That chemistry has worked wonders in this case. The under-16 squad is unbeaten in 23 games against Pennsylvania competition this season, allowing only 12 goals in those contests.

The team has lost four games total in six tournaments and outscored the opposition 18-0 in winning the Pennsylvania Premier Alliance (PPA)Cup in Erie recently.

At the USAClub Regional in Fort Dix, N.J., Northern Steel's U-16 team won three games, tied one and outscored the competition 8-2.

In state and regional play combined, the Ice have scored 26 goals and surrendered two.

"If a team is ever peaking at the right time, this is the one," Gerlach said. "We're playing our best soccer right now."

The U-16 squad is comprised of 14 girls from eight different high schools. Gerlach is boys soccer coach at Mars High School during the fall.

One of his players, midfielder Sarah Heckman of Mars, is only 14 and played for Northern Steel's under-15 squad this year as well.

Seven of the players — defender Dana Cerminara of Seneca Valley, midfielders Maurielle Blake of Freeport and Amanda Sharbaugh of Knoch, defender Jenny Jergel of Seneca Valley, forward Jesselyn Terrill, defender Tina Hendrick and goalkeeper Cassanda Curran, all of Kiski Area — have been with the team all four years.

"Teamwork is the most important part of soccer and we've developed that over time,"Cerminara said. "Everybody works hard in practice and everybody knows each other. Everybody's so close on this team."

Dillner agreed.

"We want to succeed for each other more than for ourselves,"she said. "You need that in summer soccer or nobody would work as hard at it."

While the Ice have allowed only the 12 goals in state play this season, they've tallied approximately 115 themselves.

Alyssa Cosnek, a forward from Hopewell, has 45 goals overall. Terrill has 40 goals and Sharbaugh has 25.

"There are no superstars on this team,"Gerach said. "Each girl has her role on the field and we play as a unit."

The team practices twice a week for two and a half hours each time, then plays league or tournament games on weekends.

Gerlach tries to find stellar competition for the team. Thursday, it scrimmaged an alumni contingent from his Mars High School boys soccer program.

"We had one stretch where we didn't allow a goal for six games, then gave one up on a penalty kick,"Cerminara said. "That was disappointing, but we got it right back. We take a lot of pride in playing with the lead."

As under-15's last year, these girls fell a game short of reaching nationals, losing to a team from Illinois in the region finals.

"Ever since that loss, our goal was to reach nationals this year,"Dillner said. "We talked about it at our first practice."

Now they've done it.

"There's only eight teams that reach nationals,"Gerlach said. "You play the other three teams in your group of four and the team with the best record plays the best record from the other group for the national championship.

"The worst we can finish is eighth in the country. That's not bad, considering where we were."

Northern Steel's under-16 girls soccer team, undefeated in Pennsylvania play this season and USAClub Regional champion, finished seventh in an eight-team league three years ago.The team's roster follows:Player School Pos.Sarah Heckman Mars MFBecca Pecora Seneca Valley DBecca Crissman Butler MFMarci Dillner Mars MFDana Cerminara Seneca Valley DLogan Gamelier Sen. Valley D/MFCaitlin Bleggi Neshannock MFJesselyn Terrill Kiski Area FCassandra Curran Kiski Area GKTina Hendrick Kiski Area DAlyssa Cosnek Hopewell FMaurielle Blake Freeport MFJenny Jergel Seneca Valley DAmanda Sharbaugh Knoch MF