Mildenhall Marauders win USAFE soccer championship

  • Published
  • By Gary Rogers
  • 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
RAF MILDENHALL, England --  The Mildenhall Marauders defeated the Ramstein Rams 4-2 to take the U. S. Air Force Soccer Championships at RAF Alconbury, June 29.

The base soccer team formed just three months ago and went into the championship on June 25 with just two warm-up matches. They got off to the worst possible start, with a goal down in the first five minutes against the Ramstein Rams in the first of four pool (preliminary) matches. Mildenhall turned the game around and went on to win 3-2.

The following day, the Marauders had their biggest victory with a 4-0 win over the 501st Combat Support Wing, Griffins from RAF Alconbury. The team continued its winning run June 27, when RAF Mildenhall faced their local rivals, the Lakenheath Eagles and again came out victorious with an impressive 3-1 scoreline.

Coach Scott Reed decided to rest some of his starters for the final pool game against also-undefeated Spangdahlem Sabres. Although Spangdahlem went on to defeat Mildenhall 3-2, they ran out of steam and lost the semi-final to Ramstein. With a rested team, Mildenhall again defeated Lakenheath 4-1 in the other semi-final to cruise into the final to face the Ramstein Rams.

An own goal by Ramstein gave the Marauders an early lead in the championship game. Mildenhall dominated until half time with a 3-1 lead. During the second half, the Ramstein Rams pressed hard for the first 20 minutes and scored a goal to get them back in the match at 3-2. However, five minutes later, Mildenhall increased their lead again, which meant by this time the deflated Rams would be heading back to Germany a defeated team.

A true Team Mildenhall performance, coach Reed said, "For 90 days, everybody gave everything they had, it all came together in the end."