A Murfreesboro select soccer team fielded by Murfreesboro Soccer Club (MSC) battled six teams statewide to claim the Tennessee State Soccer Association State Championship in Division III in Goodlettsville May 14. The MSC 2004 Boys Strikers Elite team, comprised of 16 12-and-13-year-old young men, outscored their opponents 18 to 1 and allowed just one goal over the tournament weekend.

Teams from Memphis, Nashville, Knoxville, Clarksville, Johnson City and Murfreesboro comprised the Division III teams competing for the championship title. The Division III state games began in the fall 2016 and finished with the state tournament. The MSC 2004 Boys Strikers Elite team also played in tournaments in Birmingham, AL, and Decatur, AL, this year, and also won both tournament championships there, as well as achieving a second place finish in their hometown Bash in the Boro Tournament (date). The team is coached by Enrique Suarez under the direction of MSC Director of Coaching Ali Arman.

"Coach Suarez made sure that the boys were in top condition to play the full 70 minutes each game," said George Tucker, parent of one of the players, Will Tucker, and Murfreesboro Soccer Club Board Member. "Coach Suarez stresses conditioning, and the results are there. We win our games in the second half when the opponent is tired and has nothing left. Our team turns on the speed and pushes the scoring in the second half of our games. The team is now accustomed to a rapid pace at each of its practice sessions which include conditioning before and after."

"This team transitioned to playing on the full size field this season," Coach Suarez added. "The fields are larger and the goals are larger which means more space to run and larger targets for the goals. We're very pleased and proud of the way they've worked consistently throughout the season and came up with this great honor for the team."