Chattanooga Football Club women’s team is getting fired up
Madison Ricketts has benefited from being part of the Chattanooga Football Club women’s soccer team.
The CFC women have benefited from the 16-year-old’s presence as well.
The Chattanooga Patriots junior has had a successful first season on the Chattanooga FC club, which is 3-4 and plays at Memphis today at 2 p.m. EDT. Ricketts scored the goal in the 1-0 win at Alabama FC on June 11 — her first as a member of the club.
“She’s a very good player for her age,” CFC coach Drew Courtney said after Tuesday’s 4-3 win over the Knoxville Force. “It’s really good for her to be out here with these older girls and see the game develop, but she benefits our team as well. She reads the game well, and she works very hard, which is a very positive thing for her game.”
Ricketts also plays for the Premier Soccer Academy’s Las Leonas, coached by former professional player and coach Pedro Kozak. She called her first season “a great experience.”
“It’s so different. It’s so much faster, quicker,” she said. “You have to communicate. In a way it’s easier playing with girls that know what to do, but it’s been a lot of fun.
“I love our teammates so much. They’ve been so encouraging, and that’s my favorite part of being on this team. That and glorifying God with the talent he gave me.”
Men try to clinch
The CFC men also travel to the Mike Rose Soccer Complex, where tonight at 8 EDT
they will face Memphis City FC. Memphis City is tied for second place behind CFC in the National Premier Soccer League Southeast Conference.
With a perfect 21 points in seven matches (all wins), the Chattanooga club needs only a tie in three matches to clinch the regular-season conference title and right to host the playoffs, which would start July 8.
Memphis and New Orleans each is 3-3-1, but according to the points system (three for a win, one for a tie), the most points either can have in the 10-match regular season is 19. Knoxville is 3-3 and still could reach 21 points.
There will be a watch party tonight at the Chattanooga Brewing Company.
The CFC men will host the New Orleans Jesters next Saturday at 7:30 p.m.
Contact Gene Henley at ghenley@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @ genehenleytfp.