It was cold and rainy in Manteca this past weekend, and nobody was happier than the Sonoma County Alliance 02 girls soccer team.

You see, the squad of 7- and 8-year-olds had experience playing in miserable weather, having competed in the Boo-Fest in Sacramento on a chilly weekend last month.

The team did not do well on that occasion, losing all four games it played. But in the end, it was a rewarding experience.

The talented squad of mostly Petaluma third- and fourth-graders felt right at home in similar conditions Saturday and Sunday in Manteca, and perhaps that mental edge was just enough to propel the SCA squad to first place in the Under-9 Premier 2 Division of the prestigious Northern California State Cup.

"In our club, we really stress to the girls to: 'Do your best. If you do that, then good things might happen,''' Coach Katie Turtle said in the aftermath of the championship. "Before the (championship) game, I told them, 'Winning is a fun part of the game, but we're here to try our hardest. That's what's important to me and to our parents.'''

That philosophy resulted in the ultimate fun over the weekend — a two-match sweep that added a huge trophy to the long ride home.

It wasn't easy. In fact, the youngsters still aren't exactly sure what happened.

The confusion occurred at the end of the semifinal victory over Cal Odyssey of Clovis.

After the teams had battled to a 1-1 tie through overtime, a penalty-kick shootout would determine which team advanced to the finals the next day, and which would head home prematurely.

Even though this SCA team had never been involved in a shootout before, Turtle had a plan. She called upon Kendra Barry, who had scored the team's lone goal in regulation, to attempt penalty kicks along with Gabriella and Lilli Ziemer, Ashley Hancock and Delaney Johnson.

A save by goalie Hancock on one of the Cal Odyssey attempts put SCA in a position to win as Barry lined up for the club's fifth and final kick. When she converted, something odd happened.

"To be honest, I don't think a lot of the girls knew we had won," Turtle observed. "The parents were excited and the girls ran over to see what was going on.

"Actually, (not knowing the significance of the shootout) was a good thing because it helped keep them calm."

There was nothing calm about the end of the championship game the next day. Two remarkable goals by Barry and a shutout in net by Hancock produced a 2-0 victory over Elk Grove/Everton.

"We celebrated that one," Turtle assured.

So, one day after two Petaluma high schools (Casa Grande and St. Vincent) claimed North Coast Section championships, the town's Classes of 2019 and '20 started the ball rolling toward future prep soccer success.

"A lot of girls from our club play for Casa Grande," said Turtle, a Santa Rosa Junior College assistant coach, who sounded as proud of the high-schoolers as her own team. "There were a bunch of SCA sweatshirts at their championship game."

It took more than an SCA sweatshirt to stay warm in Manteca on Saturday and Sunday, but no one from Petaluma complained. It's funny how a crown can be so comforting.