Youth soccer players to enter Interregionals in Florida this month

Four soccer players from the Lincoln and South Placer areas were selected to represent the west region at the 2022 Olympic Development Program Interregionals this month in Orlando, Florida. The players are Zac Giles, Kiana Faucette, Shannon Porubski and Izabella Duink. After a three-month tryout period, each state forms a pool of about 40 players to compete against other state teams. Eleven players were selected to attend a regional camp in Salt Lake City, Utah to play on mixed teams from 13 other states in the west region. Based on those performances, teams of either 17 or 18 players are selected to represent the west region at Interregionals in Florida and will face off against other teams from the east, south and midwest regions. If those players do well enough, they will make the National Select Olympic Development Program pool. Giles is on the 2005 boys' team and has made it the last two years. He has been playing soccer competitively for 10 years, nine with Blues FC in Rocklin. Giles is also on the varsity boys' team at Lincoln High School where he led the Fighting Zebras with 14 goals and nine assists in 10 matches during the 2021 season. The Zebras finished second in the Foothill Valley League and made an appearance in the Sac-Joaquin Section playoffs. "My goal for regionals this year is to play well enough to, once again, make the national pool," Giles said. "Each year, you have to step up a level to make it again. My goals for my senior year at Lincoln High is to mainly win the league. The individual accolades are always nice but I have never won a league in soccer and I want to do it before I graduate." Faucette, on the 2006 girls' team with Porubski and Anna Olson, has made it onto the Interregional team for the first time. Faucette, 16, is a lifelong Lincoln resident and plays on the Placer United Elite Club National Program team. She got her start in the sport with her sister, Jenna, at Lincoln FC and also plays on the varsity team at Del Oro High School in Loomis. She has played competitive soccer for six years. "This is a goal I've worked toward for a long time, so I am super happy to have made the team," Faucette said. "These 'regional'-style teams can often be challenging since the players typically don't know each other and have not played together as a team. Having existing teammates on the Interregional team will be great. I'm really happy that three of us from Placer United will be going to the event together." Porubski will also compete at Interregionals on the 2006 girls' team. She plays on the Rocklin High School varsity team as a goalkeeper where she will be a junior this upcoming season. She has been playing competitive soccer for seven years with 2022 being her first year with Placer United. Porubski has participated in the Olympic Development Program for five years at the state level, three years at the regional level and one year at the national level. "When I learned I was selected for the Interregional event, I felt very proud of myself that my hard work paid off and that I am able to represent my state, teammates and coaches," Porubski said. "It is pretty special to be selected in the travel team of 17. It is a competitive environment that tests your strengths and weaknesses. My biggest goal for the Interregional event is to perform at my highest capability, and take away knowledge from connections and lifelong friendships." Duink is on the 2007 Girls team and is a sophomore at Roseville High School where she played 11 games as a freshman last season, finishing with eight shutouts and 39 saves while only allowing six goals. The Tigers finished third in the Capital Valley Conference and made it to the Sac-Joaquin Section Division II quarter finals before losing to Granite Bay High. Duink has also been with the Sacramento Republic FC Academy Program and played for the under-12 academy team and the under-13 boys team to improve her game. She made history as the first girl to join the Sacramento Republic FC Academy.