Nicole Locandro has gone from zero to sixty in the span of about a week.

Prior to arriving at the US Youth Soccer Region III Championships, the U17 GSA Phoenix 92 Red midfielder had never advanced beyond state cup competition. Now, it feels as though she’s advanced beyond her years.

Locandro thrived in a pressure-packed environment and delivered strong performances for her team as GSA Phoenix qualified for the National Championships held July 21-26 in Lancaster, Massachusetts.

Next up, more uncharted territory for Locandro - which has proven to be a good thing.

“Winning regionals and now moving on to nationals is incredible. We’re all really exited,” Locandro said. “Personally, this has been fun for me. I like feeling the pressure and playing against strong competition. It’s not always fun to play when you’re beating a team (easily).”

The climactic regional final was anything but easy. Ignited by two goals from Locandro, GSA Phoenix squeaked out a 3-2 victory over Georgia rival AFC Lightning.

In the final minutes of the match, Locandro took a cross in the box and did what her coach had been imploring her to do in the days preceding the final.

She finished.

“Before the semis I had a conversation with her and told her that it was time that she started scoring,” said coach Campbell Chapman. “She had been missing a few chances and wasn’t having much luck with her opportunities. I don’t know if the conversation helped, but she sure came up huge from there. She scored a goal in the semifinals that was really special.”

What looks like the making of a storybook-ending wasn’t without early challenges. Although GSA Phoenix 92 Red plays like a unit that’s been together for some time, this is actually Locandro’s first year with the group.  

She chose to leave her longtime club, the North Atlanta Soccer Association (NASA), at the beginning of the season - a tough decision that has obviously paid dividends - to join a club with current young standouts like Natalie Jenkins, Annie Speese, Bryana Gold, DJ Edler and Cara Smith.

What’s more, Chapman has challenged Locandro in ways that has taken her out of her comfort zone. At NASA she leaned on her height and played exclusively at forward, but these days she’s playing attacking midfielder while playing occasionally on the outside and occasionally back up top.

“It’s been great to play different positions and I think that it will help me at Georgia (Where she’ll attend in 2010),” Locandro said. “My teammates have always been really welcoming and they would always invite me to hang out when I first joined the team. I think that made the transition easier.”

And Locandro’s addition has made the team’s path easier as well as she has fit in seamlessly with teammates like goalkeeper Natalie Jenkins, and fellow midfielders Emily Bougas, Maureen Buff, Alexa Newfield and Kim Spence.

“She was the piece that we needed,” Chapman said. “She has grown a lot because she works so hard. Without traffic, she commutes an hour just to practice with the team. She has been big for us.”

And the stage will only get bigger for Locandro and her teammates who appear ready to grow right along with it.

“There are going to be a bunch of great teams at nationals,” Locandro said. “But we think we have a really good chance to win.”

U17 GSA Phoenix 92 Red Roster
Kansas Bayly, Brittany Beaumont, Emily Bougas, Maureen Buff, Emily Cox, Taylor Gates, Taylor Graves, Ashley Gray, Natalie Jenkins, Nicole Locandro, Tori Lopez, Jordan Miller, Alexa Newfield, Anna Sammons, Kim Spence, Jordan Young