SPRING VALLEY, Colorado — Some of the Western Slope’s top female soccer players will soon learn where their skills stand in the grand scheme of their sport.

Nineteen players from the Western Slope, many current or former high school standouts, will wage an exhibition battle with a group of potential pros on Friday.

The Colorado Mountain United Select, a side cobbled together by former Colorado Mountain College coach Steve White, will open a weekend of soccer at Gates Soccer Park by welcoming the Colorado Force Super 20s, a reserve squad for the Loveland-based, pro-am Colorado Force women’s team, to the Western Slope for an exhibition tilt. The event is a precursor to Saturday and Sunday’s Emily Johnson Play It Forward 3v3 soccer tournament.

Seven current or former Coal Ridge High School players, five current or former Glenwood Springs High School players and a pair of current Basalt High School standouts grace the roster of locals, who are relishing the chance to showcase their skills on a big stage.

“I hope to grow a lot as a player,” said Coal Ridge senior-to-be Audrey Asplund, who’ll roam the midfield for the Colorado Mountain United Select. “Coming up onto my senior year, it’s important for me. I think I can play at the next level. This could help me get more confidence, or realize how much more I need to do.”

The level of competition the Western Slope stars will face will certainly prepare them for the next level. The Force Super 20 roster is loaded with talent, with college standouts aplenty gracing the list of players.

“Their reserve group’s pretty loaded,” White said. “Absolutely.”

But White also likes the cast he’s assembled. Mixed in with the high schoolers are a select group of current or former college players, like Glenwood Springs alum Tobie Rippy, who plays for the University of Colorado.

“I think we’ll put the most competitive product on the field we can,” White said. “It’s an opportunity to see where [our] girls are at.”

Admission to the 7 p.m. exhibition matchup is a $5 donation. Proceeds go both toward covering game costs and to the Emily Johnson Play It Forward Fund, which feeds a pair of Coal Ridge High School scholarships in Johnson’s name.

Johnson died in an all-terrain vehicle (ATV) accident in November 2008 and the Saturday through Sunday 3v3 tournament was put together as a way to both honor her life and generate revenue for the scholarship fund.

White had a contact with the Colorado Force, which plays in the W-League of the United Soccer Leagues, and set up the exhibition game as the kickoff event of a soccer-packed weekend.

“I think it’ll be pretty good,” Asplund said. “It’s really fun to play with the older girls.”

Emily Johnson Exhibition Game Who’s playing: Colorado Mountain United Soccer Club vs. Colorado Force Super 20s. When and where: 7 p.m. Friday at Gates Soccer Park (CMC-Spring Valley campus). Admission: $5 donation. Colorado Mountain United Soccer Club is: a group of current and former local high school and college standouts. The Colorado Force Super 20s is: a reserve squad for the Colorado Force premier women’s soccer team, which is based out of Loveland. The Force plays in the W-League of the United Soccer Leagues. The W-League is a feeder league to the new Women’s Professional Soccer league. The Colorado Mountain United Select side: No. Name Pos. School (current or fmr.) 0 Tori Verdieck GK Coal Ridge HS 1 Amelia Davis GK Palisade HS 2 Tracy Pihl Def. CRHS 3 Erica Ruiz Mid. CRHS 4 Audrey Asplund Mid. CRHS 6 Holly Brown Mid. Glenwood Springs HS 7 Sarah Cunningham Mid. GSHS/CSU 8 Brittany Rippy Mid. GSHS 9 Sam Wilson Def. CRHS 10 Tobie Rippy Mid. GSHS/CU 11 Stacy Baker Def. CRHS 12 Alex Dewind Def. Basalt HS 13 Hannah Bihr Def. Mesa State 14 Eryn Helzer Mid. Mesa State 15 Kelly Romero Mid. CRHS 16 Linda Vandehey For. Mesa State 17 Leah Mansfield For. GSHS 18 Ryan Zwelling For. CU Gold 19 Anette Stenstadvold Mid. Basalt HS Note: Colorado Mountain United squad is purposely not rostering a No. 5, the number Emily Johnson wore as a member of Coal Ridge’s soccer team.