The Middle Tennessee Golden Eagles Varsity team capped off their season winning top honors of the Girls Division I Gold at the National Homeschool Soccer Championship (NHSC) held Oct. 26 – Oct. 27 in Evansville, IN. The Golden Eagles shined throughout their 2018 season with a record of 21 wins – 2 losses – 5 ties versus area public and private school varsity teams. They also captured 1st place in the Mid-South Ladies Regional Soccer Tournament held at Heartland Soccer Complex in Nashville. The Golden Eagles Middle School team also performed extremely well, ending their season with an 11-4 record.

This was the 11th year for the NHSC – growing to 48 Varsity teams from throughout the U.S. (34 Boys teams; 14 Girls). The Golden Eagles won both matches in the 1st round, sending them to compete in the top tier of Division I opponents. A clutch save during Penalty Kicks by goalkeeper, Nissa Berle, helped propel the team to the final championship match. By tourney’s end, the Golden Eagles had succeeded in shutting out all opponents including Indianapolis, Cincinnati, and Rochester for the final win. Baylee Skipper and Tatyana Natal were recognized as All-Star players for their outstanding performance throughout the event.

Head Coach Jeff Postell weighed in on the team’s accomplishment: “To win the Nationals with only 13 active players is really incredible. There was a very high level of competition and the weather was a factor, but these girls never gave in. Our players were probably the most fit team in the tournament and our defense was relentless, and we owned the mid-field. It was so much fun to watch all their effort pay off. These young ladies deserved this.”

The Golden Eagles began in 2008 as a competitive Middle School girls soccer team with the inaugural season for Varsity launching in 2010. With players traveling from all over the Middle Tennessee area, practice time together is limited. From the point of tryouts and throughout the season, players are challenged to uphold team principles including personal accountability for individual training. Jeff Postell (Head Coach) was instrumental in founding and leading the team over the first 11 years.  Brandon Skipper took over the program in 2019 as Head Coach after being the Assistant Coach for multiple seasons. Their leadership combined with the tremendous work of the players obviously paid off!