Team Boca SABR U-16 team honored by city

The Team Boca SABR Elite 64 2008 girls were recognized with a city proclamation at the Boca Raton City Council meeting on Tuesday, August 27 after winning the club’s third national championship in program history this summer.

Many of the girls began in the SABR recreational program and developed their skills with Team Boca.

“This is a great highlight for our community, and we are very proud of you,” said Boca Raton Mayor Scott Singer as the proclamation was being read. “Thanks for being great ambassadors for our sport and our community.”

Team Boca captured the 2024 USYS National Championship with a 4-2 victory over Fort Wayne United 2008 U17 Girls Elite 64 at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Kissimmee.

“The girls are wonderful ambassadors for our sport,” said Team Boca coach Patrick Baker, who is also the coach of the FAU Women’s soccer team. “They are tremendous student-athletes, and they do great things in the classroom and in the community. We are proud to represent the city of Boca Raton.

“Our finalist was Fort Wayne Indiana, and our semifinalist was out of Utah,” he continued. “So, to represent Florida and the great city of Boca Raton is fantastic. For many of these young ladies, it is their second national championship and our third in five years, so we are doing something right, and hope that continues.”

Adrianna Gonzalez scored twice in the first seven minutes to stake Team Boca to a 2-0 advantage. Fort Wayne managed to tie the game at 2-2 with a penalty kick at the start of the second half and another tally a few minutes later. Colbie Pirchio gave the locals the lead for good in the 70th minute and Mary Hartofilis iced the game with a goal in the 84th minute.

Hartofilis is the granddaughter of the late Susan Whelchel, who served two terms as Mayor for the city of Boca Raton from 2008-2014.

Hartofilis and Gonzalez, both SABR originals, were two members of the 2008 team that won in 2021 and again this season. There are 10 members who returned from the 2021 title team.

“It’s really cool being with the team that long and winning the two championships,” said Hartofilis, who has also seen action with the Ireland U-17 national team this year. Gonzalez was named to the Mexican U17 National team that will play in the World Cup this fall. “It shows the amount of hard work that goes into everything and how much we wanted it.”

Hartofilis’ mother Kristy played for Team Boca, Spanish River High School, Duke University, the US National team, and professionally in Denmark and the USL W-League. She was inducted into the Palm Beach County Sports Hall of Fame in 2016.

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