Rianne Moll felt the anxiety of competing in a national soccer tournament. She said it affected her performance in the opening game of the US Youth Soccer National President Cup.

            "I was nervous and I didn't play as well as normal," Moll said. "But I played pretty well as the games went on."

            Despite going 0-3-1 at the tournament in Auburndale, Fla. earlier this month, the Harleysville FC U-15 girls soccer team made significant strides, according to head coach Chris Felber. He called it a "huge" learning experience.

            "We had been talking to the players about getting to the next level," said Felber, whose team salvaged a tie against a team from north Texas in its final game. "Now they know where they need to be."

            According to Felber, a quartet of players who will be attending Upper Perkiomen High School next month – including Moll, Katie Cairns, Emily Schaut and Sierra Fretz – made significant contributions to that success.

            The coach said he expects all four to receive significant playing time on Upper Perkiomen's varsity soccer team as ninth graders.

"I would think they could all make an impact," Felber said.

            Moll expects the quartet to continue improving. She said the experience will redefine how they will perform moving forward.

            The coach described Moll, a striker, and Fretz, a goalkeeper, as physically gifted, strong fast and very athletic. He said Schaut, a midfielder, and Cairns, left wing, made significant strides during the season.

"Kate has a ton of speed, which made her very useful," Felber said.

            In June, Cairns scored on a penalty kick to help Harleysville FC defeat Charleston Clash in the title game of the US Youth Soccer Region 1 Presidents Cup Tournament in Barboursville, West Virginia.

            Getting through the first game of the regional tournament was pivotal to the team's success, according to the coach. He said he felt "super confident" the group could capture the title.

            "The girls did really well staying focused," Felber said.

            In the title game, despite falling behind in overtime, Moll refused to allow Harleysville FC to lose, according to the coach.

            "We didn't quit, or put our heads down," he said. "And Rianne kept driving (down the field)."

            Despite experiencing the anxiety, Moll was able to focus on channeling her energy toward scoring goals.  She felt the same pressure in the team's opening round game at the national tournament against the California South Eagles, but was not able to respond similarly.

            Moll said the opposition played a pace faster than she and her teammates were accustomed. According to Felber, teams in the northeast are a little behind other regions in terms of fundamentals.

            "The team knew it was going to be a big step up," the coach said.