CB United teams advance at state

MOSES LAKE — The Columbia Basin United (CB United) youth soccer club advanced three teams to the Sweet 16 of the Washington state youth soccer state championships last weekend.

The CB United 95, a U-13 girls team, advanced to the Sweet 16 after knocking off Snohomish 3-2 and the MRFC Cosmos 2-1.

The CB United 95 team jumped out to a fast start against eighth-ranked Snohomish, scoring a pair of goals within the first five minutes of the contest.

CB United 95 head coach Nick Wallace said his team is capable of beating any team in the state.

“Snohomish though they would walk over us, but our soccer club has developed some incredibly talented and hard-working youth soccer players,” he said. “We can compete with anyone.”

The CB United 95 wasn’t the only girls team to advance, the U-12 CB United 96 team also moved into the Sweet 16 following a pair of tough victories over the weekend. CB United 96 beat WestSound FC 2-1 and slid past Evergreen FC 1-0 to advance.

CB United Director of Coaches and CB United 96 head coach Jen Lee said the CB United’s early success is impressive.

“Playing premier-level soccer is new in the Columbia Basin,” she said. “(It) makes the rapid success of these girls even more impressive.”

In addition to the CB United girls teams advancing to the round of 16, the CB United 96 boys team also earned a spot with a pair of victories over the weekend, head coach Scott McCornack said.

“The boys played beautiful soccer on Sunday,” he said. “If we can keep the quality of play that high, we can contend for a state title.”

In all, four CB United teams will play state championship games in the Columbia Basin this weekend.

The CB United 96 and 93 girls will take to the pitch Saturday at Lions Field beginning at 10 a.m. The CB United 96 boys and the CB United 96 White girls teams will play at the Ephrata Soccer complex beginning at 2 p.m.