STATE RUNNER-UP — Members of the Fairmont U19 girls traveling soccer team, sponsored by Saxton Family Farms, placing second at the 2021 Minnesota Youth Soccer Association’s state tournament July 24 in St. Cloud include, front row (l-r): Kalie Hanna, Ellie Schultze, Mackenzie Householder, Sami Lenort, Alexis Newville, Alyssa Wiederhoeft and Samantha Castro. Back row: Coach Kelly Quiring, Selma Bleess, Rayah Quiring, Cadee Becker, Brooklyn Meyer, Bailey Martinson, Carissa Saxton and Alexis Hinz. (Photo courtesy of Amy Becker)

FAIRMONT — The bittersweet end of an era.

Kelly Quiring flashed her vivacious smile as the Fairmont U19 girls traveling soccer team members assembled for a group photograph one last time on July 24.

Quiring’s roster, sponsored by Saxton Family Farms, had just captured second-place honors at the 2021 Minnesota Youth Soccer Association’s state championship tournament in St. Cloud.

While Quiring’s heart was filled with modest pride for her roster’s incredible summertime achievement, in her mind she was saddened by the fact that it was the final year of traveling soccer for this highly-skilled core of players she had the privilege to coach since 2015 when they played at the U11 level.

“It’s been a blessing to have coached them for six seasons — obviously minus 2020 due to COVID,” Quiring said in reference to Fairmont seniors-to-be Cadee Becker, Samantha Castro, Carissa Saxton, Ellie Schultze, Sami Lenort, Rayah Quiring, Mackenzie Householder, Bailey Martinson, Alexis Hinz, Alyssa Wiederhoeft, Alexis Newville and Kalie Hanna — in addition to 2021 FHS graduate Brooklyn Meyer. “I’ve spent a lot of time on the road with this group of girls over the years and teaching them the game, but I’ve gotten so much more back from the experience than I put into it.”

After calculating the core group’s final numbers days after returning home from St. Cloud, Kelly Quiring’s spirits were elevated. Seventy-eight wins, 22 losses and six ties during a six-season span to go with 354 goals and 742 saves.

Add a fifth-place state showing in 2016, a third-place effort in 2017 and a runner-up performance in 2019 to complement this year’s second-place effort, and Kelly Quiring could smile again.

Fairmont’s trek to silver medals at the 2021 state competition in St. Cloud last month proved almost too close for comfort.

Rayah Quiring and Sami Lenort connected for one goal and one assist apiece, while goalkeeper Cadee Becker made four saves to pace Fairmont U19’s 2-0 triumph over the IGH Heat of Eagan in their first-round state clash July 21.

Rayah Quiring then converted a pair of Alexis Newville assists into goals as Fairmont lost a nail-biting 4-2 second-round decision to Great River on July 22. Fairmont, however, advanced to the state championship match on the strength of point differential.

Central Minnesota of St. Cloud then edged Fairmont, 2-1, for the state crown on July 24, with Lenort accounting for the team’s only goal off a helper from Brooklyn Meyer.

“Going into state, we only had two subs, so the girls had to battle through the extreme heat (high 90s) and the smoke (from the wild fires),” said Kelly Quiring. “I was proud of the way they gave it their all throughout each and every game.”

Fairmont U19 also played against the odds earlier in July when it received a rare invitation to the USA Cup competition July 9-11 in Blaine.

Minneapolis United Premier rallied from a scoreless first half to post a 3-0 first-round win over Fairmont before Quiring’s crew lost a 4-0 second-round decision to the Michigan Petoskey Breakers.

Ellie Schultze converted a Meyer assist into Fairmont’s only ‘counted’ goal during a third-round 1-1 tie against the Chicago KICS Premier Football Club.

“I was extremely proud of the way our girls played against premier teams who had paid coaches — not volunteers like our program — in the USA Cup,” said Kelly Quiring. “We held Minneapolis United, who eventually finished second in the 16-team bracket, to a 0-0 halftime tie in our opener.

“In the last game, we had two goals taken away due to fouls in the box or we might have come away with a win against a very good Chicago team.”

While Kelly Quiring plans to continue to coach the Fairmont Area C-squad girls soccer team this fall and watch her youngest daughter, Rayah, compete at the varsity level, her time of coaching Fairmont’s traveling teams has come to a storied ending.

“We started a tradition of taking a selfie of the team after each time we won, with the Jesse James Tournament in Northfield being the first one we won as U11 in 2015,” Kelly Quiring said while reminiscing. “I’ve watched these girls grow up — from having braces to getting their driver’s licenses to buying prom dresses. These girls will always have a special place in my heart.

“Sadly, I’m done coaching traveling soccer. Thinking back to when I first started, I really didn’t think I’d do it this long, but I feel truly blessed for having the opportunity to be a part of this group’s lives for the last seven years.”