2013 USPSA Premier Cup Recap

If you were to sum up the 2013 USPSA Premier Cup Tournament in two words, they'd be Strike Force.

After jumping on to the scene during the 2012 Premier Cup tournament, the new wheelchair designed by the Power Soccer Shop was on full display in this year's tournament. This was the first full year for teams to compete in the new Strike Force chairs and they are revolutionizing the sport of power soccer.

Several teams now had athletes who were using the new chairs and everyone was eager to see just how much the game had changed.

Held at Hopkins High School in Minnetonka, MN, the top nine teams in the United States Power Soccer Association competed against each other for a chance at a National Championship. For three days, the teams from the Premier Conference showcased their skills in pursuit of the 2013 Premier Cup first-place trophy.

If a team was going to emerge victorious with the Premier Cup title, they would undoubtedly have to go through the defending National Champions, the Minnesota Magic or the perennial power house, the Circle City Rollers. It was no easy task, but the teams were up for the challenge.

For two days, the teams competed in pool play before beginning the playoff rounds. As the semi-finals began, the top four teams remaining were the ASU Sun Devils, the Circle City Rollers, the Minnesota Magic and Turnstone Flyers. The Sun Devils and Minnesota Magic played probably the most exciting game of the playoffs. The two teams combined to score 15 goals as Minnesota came away with the 9-6 win. And after defeating Turnstone, Circle City was set for a rematch against Minnesota for the 2013 Championship.

Before the championship match began, the Sun Devils played Turnstone for third place and came away with a 6-1 win. So the stage was set for the 2013 Premier Cup Championship match.

The Minnesota Magic defeated the Circle City Rollers in last year's Premier Cup, so this was going to be an intriguing match-up. From the opening whistle, Circle City played as if they had something to prove. The Rollers dominated the Magic on both ends of the court as they came away with a convincing 5-0 win and the 2013 Premier Cup title.

The new Strike Force chairs have definitely lifted the competition to a whole new level and made the game more exciting for athletes and fans alike. If the games played during this year's Premier Cup are any indication, the future of power soccer is looking very bright, indeed.