Is this team battle-tested?

The North United U-14 girls soccer squad is the definition of the term.

The team is headed to the U.S. Youth Soccer Region I Championships, to be held in Barboursville and Huntington, W.Va., next weekend.

But to get there, North United had to survive a brutal PA West Cup event in Irwin in late May.

The squad, made up of players from the Seneca Valley, Mars and Pine-Richland school districts, went 3-0 in the tournament before defeating perennial favorite Beadling Soccer Club in the semifinals and then encountered a solid Moon team in the championship.

After scoring the game's first goal 15 minutes into the second half, North United gave up a goal with 10 minutes left in regulation that tied the score.

After two scoreless overtime periods, it was North United that prevailed in an eight-player shootout.

"We've been viewed as one of the best teams in the area the last few years," said the North United coach Greg Helsel. "It's like we have a bull's-eye on our backs, and Moon brought their A game.

"A few weeks before the PA West Cup, one of our girls went down with a broken collarbone. Then, at the beginning of the title game against Moon, we lost another player to injury."

"So, though we had 15 players on our roster, we played almost the entire game with just 13 players. And it was pretty hot for the game, too," added Helsel.

Nine players have been playing together since their days at the U-9 level, competing in spring, fall and indoor winter leagues.

In that span, those players have compiled an overall record of 203-51-29 for a .717 winning percentage.

For the 2009 spring regular season, the squad not only moved from U.S. Club Soccer to the larger U.S. Youth Soccer, it competed up one level, going 7-1 against U-15 teams.

"U.S. Youth Soccer is viewed as more elite," said Helsel. "A lot of the girls wanted to make that move and competing against U-15 teams. We did that to get even more competition for the girls.

"I don't think any of us would have been pleased if we would not have won the PA West title."

For the PA West event and the upcoming tournament in West Virginia, the team is competing against U-14 teams.

For the Region I event, North United must survive its pool, which includes an opening game Friday against Maine Coast United, the champions from that state.

The semifinals will be held July 6 and the finals July 7.

The competition will be difficult, but Helsel knows his team has what it takes to make waves at such an event.

"It's been a complete team effort," he said. "You don't know where the next big goal is coming from because every girl has the capability to score.

"I told the team that our opponents had to win to get to (the Region I championships), but so did we. It's going to be really good competition, but it's beatable competition."

Should North United win Region I, it would advance to the national tournament in late July.

Team members Tess Drotar, Amber Fichter, Lexi Hurt, Haley Wessel, Bethany Perri, Mia Chiatto, Liana Leja, Nichole Kearns, Christine Barthen, Melissa Lynskey, Morgan Williams, Alex Bilka, Lauren Keenan, Danielle Kearns, Misha Demchuk and coach Greg Helsel.