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After outscoring opponents 68 to four and finishing the fall developmental league undefeated, the Craig Storm, a 13-and-under girls Craig Youth Soccer Association team, decided to make a move up into a competitive league.

According to coach Craig Rummel, no other local youth soccer team has competed at such a high level.

"This is a first time that a Craig Youth Soccer team has been in a competitive division," said Rummel. "All the other years the traveling teams have been a developmental division. The competitive division is just a step up in skill level."

Rummel believes the decision will help his team down the line.

"We just had to step up to the next division to push the girls a little more and get them to work on their skills a little more," said Rummel. "We just had to get them some competition."

On Saturday, the Storm started play in the new league at Woodbury Park and came away with a 1-0 win over Basalt.

"We played very well considering the conditions with the wind and the cold," said Rummel. "The teamwork was just awesome. They were passing the ball and they were just working very well together."

The Storm's Jessica Uecker scored the lone goal at the beginning of the second half.

"The other team had a very good defense," said Rummel. "We just couldn't break the defense down. We were on their side of the field basically the whole game. We just couldn't punch it in. That is something that we will have to work on a little more."

Other teams that make up the competitive league are Vail, Aspen, Glenwood Springs, Montrose and three Grand Junction teams.

"The girls are going to have to step it up a little more if they want to continue to win," said Rummel.

The Storm will next be in action at 12:45 p.m. Saturday against Aspen in Glenwood Springs.