Members of the Tribe United Gold soccer team, which won the Lehigh Valley Summer Soccer Chamionship last Wednesday. Front row: Erica Greco, Amber Mawyer, Maggie Ortlip, Aubrey Gibbs and Erica Leight. Back row:  Lauren Compton (coach), Jess Spano, Alexis Moyer, Shelby Reger, Brooke Knisely, Mike Freed (coach), Kylie McGonigle, Megan Koder and Hailey Stauffer. Missing: Kayla Smith, Shae Duka, Emily Hasson, Olivia Vogel, Lauren Schroeder and Dani Krempasky.

        The Upper Perkiomen High School girls soccer team completed a perfect 12-0-0 season as the captured the championship of the Lehigh Valley Summer Soccer League in Bethlehem July 24. The LVSSL, which is in its 42nd season, offers various high school and adult divisions, playing in a unique 9-v-9 format (as opposed to the normal 11-v-11) with no offsides, making for wide open games.

        There were a total of 18 teams from 14 different high schools in the girls division, with Upper Perk fielding two teams: Tribe United Gold (juniors and seniors) and Tribe United Blue (freshmen and sophomores).

        The Gold Team finished on top of the 6 p.m. division, posting a 8-0-0 record and the top seed for the playoffs. The Blue Team, playing against the same level of teams at the Gold Team, finished 1-5-2 in the 7:15 p.m, also qualifying for the playoffs.

        The two teams met in the first round of the playoffs, with the Gold Team recording a 5-0 victory. In the second round of the playoffs, Upper Perk struck for two goals in a five minute span of the second half to register a 2-0 victory.

        Aubrey Gibbs and Kayla Smith registered the goals, with Maggie Ortlip turning in a very solid performance in goal.

        In the semifinals, Upper Perk shutdown the league’s highest scoring team, Central Catholic, on its way to a 4-1 win. Emily Leight and Smith had two goals each in the victory. 

        Tribe Gold met Southern Lehigh, the No. 3-seed from the 7:15 p.m. division, in the final.  Southern Lehigh had the better of the possession, but could not breakdown some very solid defending from Brooke Knisely, Kylie McGonigle and Shelby Reger.  Ortlip had a pair of terrific saves midway through the half to keep the score level. Late in the second half, Hailey Stauffer poked free a ball in the box to Erica Greco, who launched the game-winner over the goalkeeper’s head.