The region’s newest high-level amateur summer soccer team started its first season with a 3-0-1 record, beating their opponents 14-1.

Surf defender Sidney Heller said, “I think it’s going very well, especially in the first season.”

Cerf has played home games at Gladden Farms or Kino North Grandstand. They defeated El Paso Surf 1-0 in their opening match on June 3, then Northern Arizona Altitude 2-0 and Lobos United FC 10-0.

In the first road game in Northern Arizona, the Surf tied 1-1. If they beat El Paso and Lobos both away in the last two games, they’ll win the conference title.

“It’s been a lot of fun. It’s kind of interesting to have a bunch of girls from different high schools, all locals from Tucson, and put everyone together on one team,” said surf defender Jordan. Singleton said. “So it was really cool to see how we meshed and how we played together, and it worked out really well for us.”

The Women’s Premier Soccer League was launched in 1998, with the addition of the U21 division in 2021.

“I didn’t know who was going to be on the team, but when I got there, I was blown away by how talented they were,” said Heller, who played for Rincon/University and FC Tucson Youth. “I know a lot of them who have played in high school, clubs, etc., and it’s been a really good group. was what I was looking for.”

Forward Delaney Buntin (Cienega, Pima College) leads the Surf with three goals and one assist. Midfielder Jamie Black (Canyon Del Oro, FC Tucson Youth) leads the team in scoring with two goals and four assists.

Defender Zoe Christofaro (Cienega, Southern Arizona Soccer Club) and forward Kaitlyn Maher (Pima College, Catalina Foothills) have also scored multiple goals, giving a total of nine surfers so far this year. scoring a goal. Buntin is third in the league scoring charts.

‘Surf Nation’ began in San Diego Surf in 1977 and regularly produces USWNT players. The Pima County iteration is an offshoot of the national “surf” identity.

“The Pima County Surf is new to Tucson, and we’ve been here for about a year, and Surf is a national brand,” said Surf head coach Tony Torres. “The women’s football scene has a surf heritage and a reputation.”

When Cerf came to Tucson, Torres, who has coached at Cienega, FC Tucson and TSA, was excited to join.

There are now over 50 surf clubs from Canada to San Diego to Puerto Rico to New England. Surf Select is a team made up of players from all over the country.

In addition to the WPSL side, Pima County Surf has a chance from U4 (called Lil Surfers) to the late teens.

Torres said the staff wanted to emphasize a positive culture to unite the U21 team made up of former rivals.

“It was a little scary at first, especially because a lot of them went to college and some of us didn’t, but as time went on, I realized that we all played college. “It’s been really nice to get to know and learn from him, ‘my teammate,'” said Singleton, who has played for Cienega and FC Tucson Youth. “We may have been rivals before, but it just made us better, now we’re teammates and work really well together.”

With 130 teams, the WPSL is highly organized with four regional divisions making up the conference, but most of the WPSL U21 teams are independent. This year’s surf is scheduled to participate in 6 games.

“I think six games is a good number because it gives us an idea of ​​where we are,” Torres said. “FC Tucson has been doing that for a long time and I think they have the experience.”

FC Tucson Women’s started as the Tucson Soccer Academy (TSA) and has been playing in the WPSL since 2013.

Next season, Cerf could be promoted to the WPSL’s senior division.

“Our target is to move up the order, and with the way we’re doing now, I think it’s very possible that we’re up there,” said Torres.