BY BRITTNI MCCOY
MOUNTAIN CITIZEN

DUNBAR, W.Va. — Kaitlyn Gauze is a state champ and national runner-up in the East Region with the West Virginia football club.

Gauze played in the U18 2022 USYS (United States Youth Soccer) National Championship Series. Her team was the West Virginia state champs and earned a spot to represent West Virginia in the U.S. East Region at the Shawnee Sports Complex.

The team’s first game was against the Keystone FC from Pennsylvania East. Gauze’s squad won 2-1.

In the second matchup, they defeated Virginia YS 2-1.

Next up, in the semifinals, they won in commanding fashion against the Pittsburgh Hotspurs SC 3-1.

This placed Gauze’s team in championship play versus the Liverpool FC International Academy from Maryland. The game was tight defensively throughout, but Liverpool scored one goal to take the win to make Gauze a regional runner-up this year.

Gauze joined the WVFC eight years ago and played as a defensive midfielder for her club team. She was a member of the Martin County soccer team for her high school career, where she scored 63 goals and had 45 assists.

She was the first player in MCHS history to make all-state in soccer. She is also the first player from this area to make it to a national championship. Gauze made the all-district team three years and all-region twice.

Gauze began her soccer career in the Martin County Youth League. Her next venture will be at the University of Charleston, where she received a scholarship to play soccer.