PINE TWP — Team bonding can go a long way.

It's taken the North United Rush U-16 girls soccer team all the way to Frisco, Texas. That is where the U.S. Youth Soccer Championships are taking place this week.

North United's U-16 team is coached by Pine-Richland High School coach Jodi Chmielewski. The team has five Butler County girls on its roster — goaltender Paige Miller of Butler, center-midfielders Ellie Coffield from Mars and Mia Zec from Seneca Valley, center-back Megan Park from Seneca Valley and outside defender Gracie Dunaway from Mars.

“We've never had a team make it all the way to nationals,” Chmielewski said. “This is a thrill for all of us and a tribute to how hard these girls have worked.

And bonded.

“We've all become such close friends,” said Miller, a first-year player on the team. “There's no fighting on this team, no problems or issues.

“We just enjoy playing soccer together.”

They are together quite a bit.

North United practices two or three times a week during the season, which runs from the winter through summer. The players go through a day of lifting and agility drills as well.

They practice at an indoor facility in the Pine-Richland area during the winter. They play and practice outdoors at North Park, Ambridge High School and in the Cranberry area.

The team played more than 30 games during the season, including a 6-1 record in league play. In winning the recent East Regional in Virginia — earning one of just eight U-16 national berths — North United won five games in five days.

Those regional games included a 3-2 overtime win over Northern Steel in the semifinals and a 3-2 win over a New Jersey team in the championship match.

“We were down 2-0 in that final game and the girls battled back,” Chmielewski said.

Other teams in the U-16 national bracket are from Wisconsin, Texas, Utah, California and New Jersey. Utah and California have two teams in the field.

North United has already played tournaments in Florida, North Carolina and Delaware this summer.

“It's been a blast playing for this team,” said Zec, another first-year player. “We've all bonded together. Staying in hotels, we've become like family.”

Dunaway echoed those sentiments.

“We're all so close, we just naturally play well together,” she said. “We cheer each other on and that makes it that much more fun.”

North United begins national tournament play Tuesday against one of the California teams. It plays three games in a four-team pool. The team with the best record coming out of those three games plays for the national championship.

The North United roster is comprised of players from Butler, Seneca Valley, Mars, Pine-Richland, North Allegheny, Fox Chapel, Avonworth and North Hills.

“It's pretty rare that a travel team bonds like we have, especially considering a lot of us come from rival schools,” Dunaway said.

North United — ranked fourth in the nation among U-16 teams — faces the best of the best this week.

“All of the games are going to be close, probably decided by one goal,” Zec said. “As long as we keep playing together, we'll stay in there.”

“It's amazing that we're here,” Miller said. “We'll just do the best we can and see what happens.”