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 Following up on their dominating display at the President's Cup two months ago, Chichitas reclaimed another title with authority.
The Madison-area team was hardly tested in winning its second National Indoor Soccer Championship in three years, thumping Illinois side Schwaben AC 5-1 in the Women's Open final Sunday at Soccer City in Palatine, Ill.
Chichitas outscored their four opponents 25-4 on the weekend, allowing no more than one goal in any game. That came on the heels of a President's Cup performance in February that saw them outscore six foes 37-2.
"Our team was just on fire this year," Chichitas midfielder Leia Schneeberger wrote in an email. "Everyone came in fit and ready to play."
They opened play Saturday with a 5-1 win over Linoma of Omaha, Neb., and an 8-1 rout of Chicago's Slack Jobs. A 7-1 pasting of AAFC Elite from Ann Arbor, Mich., sent Chichitas into the national final for the third straight year.
Last year, Chichitas lost to Nevada's B.O.B.'s 4-2 in the championship game, a year after a 4-1 victory over Canlan United Renegades from British Columbia, Canada gave them their first national title. Unlike the past two tournaments, which were played in Las Vegas, this year's event featured Midwestern teams.
Chichitas' 13-player roster was nearly the same as the one that overwhelmed the Women's Open competition at the President's Cup in February, winning its eighth title in nine years.
The only changes to the team were that defender Amanda Barbian was unable to play due to illness and Jennifer McElmury Manning – a former All-American at Minnesota – joined the roster.
Nine players scored for Chichitas on the weekend. Forward Allison Downing led the way with nine goals, while Schneeberger and defender Mara Wyttenbach added seven apiece.
"One cool thing is that everyone scores," Schneeberger wrote. "Defense, mid, forward, doesn't matter. We attack from all sides and teams don't know how to handle it. There is no one person that stands out that they can pinpoint ... All of us can find the back of the net.
"Tactically, our movement off the ball is what really sets us apart. ... I've never played with a team that moves the way we do. It's awesome."
And they've been awesome for nearly a decade.
"We love playing together and have a lot of fun," Wyttenbach wrote in an email. "When one player is not contributing, others will step into that role and help out."
Front row: M Leia Schneeberger, M Jessica Wylie Carpenter, D Mara Wyttenbach, M Maria DeGiovanni Andres, M Jennifer McElmury Manning.
Back row: D Amanda Barbian (unable to play due to illness), F Allison Downing, F Erica Handelman Strey, M Sarah Capel, D Marcia Foltz, M Mandi Miller, GK Katie Wilkins, D Jaime Barbian, D Nicole Dawson.
More Wisconsin teams in action
Wisconsin had three other teams at nationals – and one of them also played in the finals.
However, Waukesha's HLAS fell to the Riot of Dana Point, Calif., 4-3 in overtime in the Coed championship. The Riot were runners-up a year ago.
HLAS cruised past Windsor FC (Ontario) 7-0, tipped Chicago Move Makers 4-3 and beat AAFC Elite 5-3 in pool play to qualify for the semifinals, then pulled out a 2-1 victory over the Uh-Ohs from Sterling Heights, Mich., to earn a spot in the title game.
Glendale's The Looney Tunes went 1-2 in Division 1 pool play in the Coed competition, with a 4-0 win over Chicago's Disco Ninjas sandwiched around losses to the Riot (11-2) and the Uh-Ohs (10-3).
Gooners FC from De Pere played in the 16-team Men's Open, falling to Real HBG FC of Harrisburg, Pa., 6-2 and Avery Soccer Academy from Strongsville, Ohio, 3-2 on Saturday. Their final scheduled match of Division 3 pool play against Palatine's SAC Lightning was a double-forfeit.
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