Local soccer star leads team to regional championship
The Washington State's Olympic Development Program Team. Local Moses Lake product Danielle Crawford is pictured in the bottom row, third from the right.
PHOENIX - Danielle Crawford was one of 18 girls from Washington selected to represent the state at the Region IV Olympic Development Program (ODP) Championships in Phoenix, Arizona January 13 to 17. ODP was formed to identify a pool of players in each age group from which a National Team will be selected for International competition. The Region IV ODP Championship is the regional level pathway for individual player selection to the U.S. National Team. Crawford is the first girl in the history of Moses Lake soccer to attain this level of national identification.
Selected as a forward, Crawford posted four goals in the tourney, one third of all the goals scored by Washington. She entered a tied game against Utah to first make her mark on Friday night. Crawford earned MVP of the game by assisting the winning goal and finishing the fourth goal to lead Washington 4-2 over Utah. Against Arizona, Crawford scored the winning goal to lead Washington to a 2-0 victory. Washington went on to beat New Mexico 4-0, then tied Northern California 0-0, which landed them in the semi finals against Oregon. Crawford would not be denied as she scored the first goal of the semi final off a header. Washington won the game 2-1 to advance to the finals against Southern California, where they lost 2-0.
Crawford trains locally with Endeavour Soccer Academy and runs cross country for Moses Lake High School.
She not only trains year round, but gives back to the community by volunteering to coach kids ages 4 to 7 in Endeavour's Drop-In Soccer Program on Fridays and Sundays.