A group of Lakewood Ranch 13-year-olds played their way to the national championship game of the U.S. Club Soccer National Cup, posting four consecutive shutouts before falling 3-0 to FC Tampa Rangers in the July 24 final in Denver.

Florida Premier FC SWFL's U13 girls finished the tournament 3-1-1, earning the national runner-up title in their age and gender division. The National Cup crowns annual champions among boys and girls in age groups ranging from U13 to U19 and is considered the highest honor in U.S. Club Soccer.

For head coach Jeff Lowdermilk, it was uncharted territory.

"I've coached for 30 years. I (had) been to regional finals, but never a national final," Lowdermilk told the Observer.

The team's path to Denver started May 10 at the U.S. Club Soccer Florida Cup, where they beat Sporting Jax SA 3-1 in the quarterfinals and Brevard SA 3-0 in the semifinals before meeting FC Tampa Rangers in the final. That match went to extra time tied 1-1, with Tampa scoring with five minutes left before Florida Premier equalized to force penalty kicks. The Lakewood Ranch squad converted and punched its ticket to nationals.

Rising seventh-grade goalkeeper Brooke Constanzer said the shootout was stressful but fun, boiling it down to a simple reality: make it or don't.

At the National Cup, the defense locked down. The team beat West Coast SC of California 1-0, drew FC United of Iowa 0-0, defeated Manta United SC of Ohio 1-0 and knocked off Oklahoma Celtic FC 1-0 in the semifinals before the final against Tampa.

Rising eighth-grader Lauren Bittar, a defender and midfielder, said the group was organized and knew their roles throughout the four-match shutout streak. Forward and midfielder Shawnessy Aguirre, also a rising eighth-grader, credited the bond the players have built over years of playing together.

Most of the roster, composed of players born in 2013, will be eighth-graders in the 2026-27 school year. Most plan to attend Lakewood Ranch High School, where fourth-year coach Cole Richardson has built the girls soccer program into a back-to-back FHSAA Class 6A-Region 3 champion with a combined 37-12-7 record. The Mustangs lost to Niceville 4-0 in the 6A state semifinals last season, finishing 16-3-3.

In a twist, Lowdermilk coaches at Palmetto High School, meaning he'll eventually be on the opposing sideline when his current players suit up for Lakewood Ranch.

Team manager Kim Bittar said the squad held five fundraisers at Publix stores to help cover the trip to Denver. Florida Premier FC SWFL competes in the Elite Clubs National League's Regional League North Division and finished the 2025-26 regular season 9-4-3, placing third in their nine-team division. No fall schedule has been announced.