Osceola County is raising the bar when it comes to high school girls’ soccer, sending its first club team off to compete in the US Youth Regional tournament next week. In this addition of Athlete of the Week our Despina Barton introduces us to striker Jenna Butcofski and how she’s been the glue for the team’s success:

Next week the St. Cloud Soccer Club U-19 team will be taking off to Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

“It starts with about 64 teams and then it’s a win or go home scenario and it boils down to the last couple of teams in each state get an invitation to the regional tournament,” Head Coach Scott Marlega explained.

This group of teens are apart of Osceola County’s first club team to qualify for the US Youth Soccer regional round.

“We’ve been training everyday working for these games coming up,” forward Jenna Butcofski said.

And they’ll rely on a steady boot from Butcofski to keep the team advancing.

“She’s small and very pacey but she’s very aggressive as well,” Marlega described. “She’s great on the ball and she’s willing to take defenders on, one-on-one and create goal scoring chances.”

While she is responsible for 19 goals and 12 assists this club season, the rising senior offers more than just scoring power.

“I like to control the game,” Butcofski said. “If we are all panicking back and forth I just put my foot on the ball and tell my team ‘oh shape it, calm down, we need to work as a team here.’”

But the biggest reason for the team’s success this year has been their chemistry. Especially when you consider the team is made up of athletes from five different area high schools. St. Cloud, Harmony, Gateway, Osceola and Cypress Creek are all represented.

“I just love seeing our team, because this is the closest we’ve ever been this year and it’s so great to come together and work,” Butcofski added.

Everyone hoping that connection continues to flow out onto the field next week while they continue to compete in the national tournament.

One thing is certain; they have the added grit to go along with it.

“We’re kind of the small town underdog has always been in us. We go up against a lot of bigger clubs in the Orlando area, in the state really, they may have 100-200 girls try out for one team,” Marlega explained.

“We had 19 girls try out for this team and we took all 19 of them.”

That chip on their shoulder serving them well so far as they keep their eye on the road to Kansas. The host city for the final leg of the US Soccer Youth National Championship.