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SMSC Cyclones soccer U14 girls win international tournament

The U14 Girls Cyclones soccer team, a Cape Girardeau-based Southeast Missouri Soccer Club, poses for a photo Sunday after winning the Disney Cup Youth Invitational International Soccer Tournament in Orlando, Florida. The Cyclones finished 6-0 during the week-long tournament.
Submitted photo

The U14 Girls Cyclones are international champions.

The Cape Girardeau-based Southeast Missouri Soccer Club (SMSC) came out on the winning end of a grueling week of competition, finishing with a 6-0 record Sunday to claim the championship at the Disney Cup Youth Invitational International Soccer Tournament in Orlando, Florida.

During the week-long tournament, the Cyclones squared off against teams from Central and North America. They played teams from Panama and Mexico, as well as squads from Hammond, Indiana, and Orlando, Florida.

The SMSC Cyclones have played together for the last six years and are coached by Justin McMullen, who also coaches the girls soccer team at Jackson High School. Brian Rivenburgh is the team manager.

McMullen's girls youth soccer teams have won the international tournament twice during his 18 years of involvement with SMSC. It's also the final club team that McMullen has decided to coach, as he plans to focus solely on coaching the Jackson girls soccer team moving forward.

The Cyclones' 15-player roster consists of Isabel Knaup, Alexa DeLuca, Emma Shields, Abbey Klund, Brooke Gerau, Lydia Weber, Caroline Rivenburgh, Sydney Buchheit, Avri O'Daniel, Kathryn Taylor, Shelby Renner, Brooklynn Burgess, Allison Buchheit, Justi Nelson and Sophie Hamra.

— From staff report

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