Full Report on all 5 Days of Youth Nationals in Texas

Full Report on all 5 Days of Youth Nationals in Texas by Robert Ziegler 7/25/2007 (above: Andromeda's Jochen Graf (8) heads a ball during Sunday's U17 Boys title game at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships in Frisco, Texas. Among others pictured are FC Milwaukee's Trevor Swentik (18) and Andromeda's Juan Bonigno (26) - photo courtesy Melinda Gerhart) Scroll Down for Days 1, 2, 3 & 4 Reports (Special thanks to field correspondents Mike Anderson, Aaron Reifschneider, Blake Wise, Zach Barnes, Ray DeLeon, Mark Daus, Andy Mikeska, Natalie Farley, Patrick Miller & Brennan Peacock) FRISCO, TEXAS - The final day of play at this year's U.S. Youth Soccer National Championship is complete, with the remaining 6 age groups crowning champions here Sunday at Pizza Hut Park. Conditions were hot and the schedule of the previous days took somewhat of a toll on the matches, but just about every game was closely contested and the atmosphere at the fields here, again fueled by large turnout from the Dallas soccer community, was outstanding. U17 Girls: Eagles 3, Dallas Texans 2 This was an epic game worthy of the designation "Cup Final." Eagles' Nicole Sweetman had the first chance for her team, weaving into the area before hitting a shot well over the bar. The Southern Californians kept pressing however and Samantha Greene's cross was exquisitely volleyed in by Eagles' Kansas-bound forward Emily Cressy to make it 1-0. The UCLA-bound Sweetman then came close herself with a long shot that hit the bar, but the match remained a one-goal affair. Cressy won a corner for her side and Haley Wilson sent in a dangerous corner, but a foul was called on Vince Thomas's Eagles side to end the threat. Greene then sent in another good serve a minute later that Courtney Goodson met with a thundering drive that hit the bar and dropped straight down, but not over the line. Texans then began to get untracked and it was Nicole Crocco who made a strong run down the right, but Goodson recovered to make a good tackle in the area. Eagles were focusing a lot of attention on Melissa Henderson, who has scored a ton of goals this week, but their efforts were not enough to stop the Notre Dame recruit from equalizing on the 34 minute mark. Lucy Keith, Jessica Schuveiller and Kelsey Blincow connected on passes before Blincow hit Henderson making a diagonal run toward the corner. Closely-marked, Henderson executed a full-speed Cruyff, then dribbled into the area before deking another defender and hitting a left-footed finish into the back of the net for a lovely goal and a 1-1 game. Cressy then nearly responded immediately when she chested down a service, turned and fired, but Texans goalkeeper Courtney Smith made the save. Eagles' Sidney Garza then created 2 chances, 1 for herself with a steal and shot, and then with a pass for Cressy, but neither effort was on target. On the other end, Blincow made a strong run into the area, but Amelia Mathis made a good tackle to aver the threat for Eagles. Henderson nearly got loose again for Texans but Eagles goalkeeper Shaine Millheiser, set to play her college soccer at Texas, bravely won a 50/50 ball. That play became more significant when Millheiser's punt bounced over a defender and Cressy ran onto to score 1v1 in the final minute of the half. Eagles came out strong in the 2nd half to try and create some distance, but Texans' Jessica Price made a vital interception of a Megan Blankenburg pass. Ashley Rape was winning a lot of headers in the Texans' back line, but the Eagles assault kept coming. Amanda Lisberger went on a surging 25-yard run through the middle before hitting a blistering shot that Smith did well to save, but Sweetman was on hand to knock the rebound home and it was 3-1 Eagles. Texans began to frantically attack and Crocco nearly broke through with only a timely clearance by Kelsea Smith averting that chance. Henderson then beat the offside trap to run onto a through ball from ???? before finishing clinically too make it 3-2. Millheiser then showed well regarding her command of the area, snaring a good cross from Shelby Campbell and another from Crocco. A header from Schuveiller off a corner flashed just wide of the far post, and a Schuveiller free kick from distance set off a scramble in the area which ended when Kelsea Smith of Eagles blocked a shot in the 6-yard box. In extra time a cross from Blincow glanced off the crossbar, but Eagles managed to hold on for the title. Cressy said the team saved its best performance for last. "Friday we were a little bit off but today we really wanted it and it came out alright," she said. This team won the national title at the U14 age group, but Cressy reckons this victory is more meaningful. "The first time we didn't really know what we did, but this time I think we realize how hard it is and how special it is. We really wanted it." Millheiser acknowledged that the final minutes were nerve-wracking. "It scared the crap out of me," she said. "Our defenders did a good job and thankfully we were able to hang on." U17 Boys: Andromeda 2, FC Milwaukee 2 (Andromeda wins 4-3 on penalties) Andromeda went up 1-0 on a goal from Jochen Graf, but Alex Franz responded with a 25-yard run and finish for Milwaukee to make it 1-1. In overtime Andromeda got an early goal from Zachary Funk but Milwaukee's Ethan Finlay equalized and the match went to penalties. Andromeda goalkeeper Mark Essary was the hero in penalties, saving 2 of 4 FCM spot kicks. Jason Guehler hit the decisive PK to spark a wild celebration for the well-supported Andromeda team at the end of a closely-contested game between 2 talented teams. Essary said his team worked not to lose heart despite surrendering the equalizers. "We were down for a little bit but we said to just hang in there," Essary said. "They were the best team we played so we knew it would be tough." Essary said he went on instinct in the penalties. "On the first one I tried to fake them out a little bit, but I don't know if it worked. I try to look at their eyes but you never really know." Guehler said the team did it on sheer tenacity, and admitted he didn't see this coming at the beginning of the season. "We just kept fighting all the way," he said. "I had no clue (we could win nationals). This is amazing." U15 Girls: So Cal Blues 1, PDA Fire 1 (So Cal Blues win on penalties 5-3 PDA was without Mary Gibson Wagner due to injury, but showed its determination to overcome early when Kaitlin Brenn played a good ball for Rachel Davitt, whose header narrowly missed. Tad Bobak's Blues squad nearly scored as well, but a ball destined for the back of the net from Elizabeth Eddy was cleared off the line by PDA's Karly O'Toole. Kristen Niederhaus then narrowly missed with a free kick effort for Tom Anderson's New Jersey side. Sarah Halverson volleyed just wide for Blues off a cross by Alexandra Trenary, and Rachel Manning fired over from distance. Blues broke through a penalty when Gaby Zarnegar drew a foul in the area. Gillian Hogan took the spot kick to put the Southern Californians up 1-0. PDA then got an equalizer with a penalty kick of its own, with Niederhaus doing the honors to make it 1-1. PDA had the better of the chances in overtime, with Niederhaus and Michelle Morrison coming closest to scoring. In post-match penalties, So Cal goalkeeper Kimberly Cushing made one key save, and Alexandra Harrison had the decisive spot kick to prompt the celebration for Blues. Zarnegar, player of the game for Blues, said close camraderie is a key to Blues being able to succeed. "We're all best friends and it really helps us when we play on the field. A lot of the team has been together sinced Under 9." Zarnegar said. "Tad is the best coach I've ever had and he prepares us and always knows exactly what we have to do to win games. Eddy, who has been spectacular this week for the new champions, said the team is committed to playing attractive soccer. "We work all the time on connecting and working to be there for each other," she said. "The coach has helped us so much to play that way. We're always confident we can score a goal when we need to." U15 Boys: Michigan Wolves 3, PDA Larsson 0 The Michigan Wolves U15 boys looked destined to be national champions as they took command of the game from the start en route to a 3-0 victory over PDA Larsson. PDA struggled to find the form of earlier in the tournament, and the Michigan pressure eventually became too much when Hassan Saad scored 5 minutes before halftime. Joshua Gait and Jordan Tyler would add goals in the 2nd half as Wolves keeper Sasa Miskovic and centerback Kevin Cope led the shutout. “We picked a good day to have our best game.” Wolves coach Lars Richters said. “I never expected a score line like this. My hopes were for a good performance, I hoped for a championship, but the boys really came through and had a good performance when it mattered most.” The Michigan side had a relentless attack in the 1st half, and the defense denied PDA a scoring chance until just before the break. Kevin Cope led the defensive effort from his center position, and was determined to play his role in the championship. “Saad put in the goal in the first half, and I wasn’t going to let anybody score. We were locked down in the back line all the time. Put two more in and finished them off.” An emotional Cope said of the effort. “Just playing for the guy next to you. Look at the guy next to you and you’re playing for him, and that’s what it’s all about. Playing for each other, that’s what got us this championship.” Saad was always involved during the 1st half for Wolves, and it took a sliding tackle from Matthew Pesci in the 9th minute to deny the forward from his first goal. In the 21st minute another PDA defensive effort thwarted a certain Michigan goal. Tyler turned with the ball near midfield for Wolves, and then outraced the PDA defense into the box. His far post shot was saved by PDA keeper Rafael Diaz, but rebounded to the top of the 6. PDA’s Scott Keogh tried to poke the ball out, but it found Wolves’ Joshua Barens 12 yards from net. He drove his shot on goal, but Pesci made a sliding clear on the goal line to prevent the goal. The Wolves would finally break the deadlock in the 35th when Saad gathered the ball near midfield. He dribbled right at 2 defenders, and then hit a bomb from over 25 yards out. The ball sailed into the upper corner in a great individual effort for the goal. “I saw the keeper out and I just let it loose.” Saad said of his game winning goal. “To score a goal like that in the national final is just unbelievable.” PDA’s attack would show signs of life just before halftime. After receiving a free kick 25 yards out, the initial shot was knocked down by Miskovic. Vincent McEnroe followed up, but Miskovic recovered to save his attempt as well as the half ended. The Wolves would double the lead 2 minutes into the 2nd half when Gait slammed a loose ball into the back of the net from inside the 18, and Michigan had robbed PDA of the halftime break. Robert Barrera worked tirelessly in the PDA attack to create something. In the 45th he managed his way across the top of the box searching for a shooting lane. When he finally found one Miskovic was right there for the save. Fifteen minutes into the half Wolves would put the game away as Tyler made another long run from midfield, fought off a last second challenge, and the slotted the 1v1 with Diaz to make it 3-0. Alex Bramall, Jeffrey Eisenbud, and Michael Encarnacion joined Barrera in the attacking effort for PDA. But Cope would lay the hammer down as he dispensed of anything coming toward the area, and Michigan would take the trophy with a 3-0 victory. U19 Girls: Carmel United Cyclones 2, PWSI Cardinals 0 Carmel had gotten a 2nd chance to qualify through appeal on Friday night, and having capitalized on that opportunity, played a strong match in the final to win the first national championship for an Indiana team (scroll down to Friday and Saturday reports for more details). Carmel had an early chance to score when Kristin Arnold got on the end of a bouncing ball in the area, but PWSI's Mary Casey made the save. The reprieve was temporary for the Virginians however, as Annie Yi hit a trademark ferocious drive from 25 yards. Casey made a good save, but the rebound fell to Jessica Boots who knocked it home for a 1-0 Carmel lead. PWSI began to rally in the 2nd half and off a long goalkeeper punt, Julian Johnson ripped a drive that went just wide. Arnold had a breakaway chance on the other shortly thereafter, but Casey came off her line to snuff out the opportunity. Johnson then intercepted a goal kick and dribbled into the area for PWSI, but the shot went wide. Monica Dolinsky, a vital offensive cog all day for Carmel, went just wide with a free kick. Boots scored her 2nd goal of the contest in intercepting a pass and playing a neat 1-2 before finishing to make it 2-0 for the Indiana side. Carmel standout Monica Dolinsky said mental attitude was a key for the team in winning the title. "We thought we were out but found out at 12:30 that night we had a chance," Dolinsky said. "We had a lot of new girls come in and I think we did well to get everyone on the same page. Everyone blended together because we had the same goal this year, to play for each other and not individually." Carmel coach Gene Lindley echoed Dolinsky's comments. "This team had a lot of belief. With all the controversy, although it was for the right reasons, we were able to stay focused and come through," he said. "We've had a strong nucleus for a while and were able to bring in some players who were similar players and were able to help this squad." U19 Boys: Dallas Texans 1, Chicago Magic 0 The Dallas Texans U19 boys made their case as the best team in club soccer history by ending their careers winning their 3rd straight national championship. A world class goal by Harvard star, and US U20 member, Andre Akpan led Dallas to the trophy. Only Arsenal last year, and Real SoCal yesterday, have managed to win 3 straight national titles. When you add in the fact that the Texans are the only American team to win the Dallas Cup super group, they might just have an argument as best ever. “Everyone said that it’s going to be tougher each year and this is by far the toughest one," Texans captain David Murphy said. "The teams here are the best that have been here while we’ve been here, and it’s indescribable right now, cloud nine.” “We’ve had this goal in our heads for the last few years. We want to go out as the best team ever and these three national championships, and the Dallas Cup super group win, it’s something no other American team has done. So I think we are up there.” Akpan said. The game opened up early on which led to several chances for both teams. Texans had the better of play in the first half with several good buildups, but Magic could have gone ahead on 3 occasions, but failed to put shots on target. Omar Gonzales and Murphy locked down the back line in the 2nd half, and then Akpan provided the special skill to win the game. “Just very tough, has been every time we’ve played this team.” Dallas coach David Hudgell said of their game against the Magic. “Very, very tough, and really it took an outstanding goal to win the game.” The game started going from one end to another, with Akpan being fouled near the box in the 5th minute. Alexandre Ivo stepped up to the dead ball, and curled a knuckling shot over the wall that Magic keeper Pat Rickman knew little about. Fortunately for Rickman, the shot was right at him, and he slapped it down to make the save. Each team would see chances go by leading up to the 20th minute. Akpan had been active for Dallas since the start, and made a near post run as Ross LaBauex juked his man down the right side. LaBaues slid the ball in for Akpan, but Rickman made the diving stop on the near post shot. Just 2 minutes later Texans Nicholas Courtney stole the ball in midfield, and played Bill Dworsky through. However, Magic defender Kyle Knotek made the recovering run to block Dworsky’s shot. As the game was almost 30 minutes in Chicago would have 2 golden opportunities inside the box, but the Magic couldn’t put their shots on goal, and missed a chance to change the game. They would see one more look at an open goal in the 35th. Alex Holmes won a header in midfield into the path of Tim Walsh running into the right side of the box. As Dallas keeper Janrai Gravely came out Walsh played across the goal to Tim Markham alone on the far post. Murphy recovered for the Texans, and threw his body into the path of the shot to deny the goal. The Magic defense were tough to beat late in the half as Texans pressed, but couldn’t get a shot past the Chicago back line. With 5 minutes remaining in the half Bahram Sajjadi beat 2 defenders into the right side of the box, and played Akpan at the corner of the 6. Akpan used a great fake to turn at goal, but a defender waiting at the far post cleared the shot before it could reach goal. In stoppage time Gonzales took a flick from Christopher Wymer through midfield, and slipped Dworsky down the left. Dworsky ran into the box, cut back on his defender, but another Magic player had recovered to block his shot as the half ended scoreless. In the 2nd half the Texans defense, led by center backs Murphy and Gonzales, shut down the Magic attack, and gave their offense more time with the ball. “They were just brilliant, absolutely brilliant.” Hudgell said of the duo. Akpan would again be a thorn in the Magic back line, and he saw his first chance of the half 9 minutes in. Ivo sent in a free kick, and Akpan rose up to head the ball back to the near post, but Rickman was able to make the save. In the 61st minute Akpan’s effort would be rewarded. Wymer settled a long switch to the right side 25 yards from goal, and then flicked the ball over the defense into the box. The ball was coming directly over Akpan’s head as he ran on, but he had the savvy to reach out and cut the ball inside past the last defender. Akpan then slipped the ball inside the near post as the Texans went ahead. “We knew that once we got a goal that we’d win the game so, just coming out and making sure we finish one chance.” Akpan said of his goal. “I haven’t scored in a final yet in the last two years so it was good to get that winning goal.” “Andre was outstanding today. He told me last night he was going to score.” Hudgell said. Akpan, Gonzales, Sajjadi, and John Clanandro continued to attack for Dallas, but the 1 goal would be enough to take the national championship as Magic would be denied a quality chance to level. The Texans put a cap on an incredible 3 year run, and leave club soccer on top. But unfortunately they will not get the chance to pursue the new soccer pinnacle, 4 in a row. Saturday Report FRISCO, TEXAS - Saturday play here at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships is complete, with champions crowned in 6 age groups. Alberto Bru's Real So Cal team accomplished 3 national titles in a row with a victory over Michigan Wolves in U16 Boys play, while Steve Lucey's Arsenal FC team were denied a record 4th title when they lost 1-0 to New York side Terryville Fire. Bloomfield Force won the U18 Girls title on 7 rounds of penalty kicks with Slammers after playing to a 1-1 draw in regulation and 30 minutes of overtime. The U16 Girls final also went to overtime, but McLean Freedom's Caroline Miller scored twice and the Virginia team beat Dallas Texans 3-2. In U14 Girls play, Sting Dallas Royal beat Slammers 2-1 in overtime, while Baltimore Casa Mia Bays beat West Coast FC 2-1, also in overtime. The other 6 finals will be played Sunday morning, including the U19 Girls age group where Carmel United, having had their protest from Friday night upheld, rallied to draw PWSI Cardinals 3-3 to put both teams in the final. The match was ordered replayed from the spot of the disputed call, at 40 minutes of the 1st half (Read Friday's report for more detail). Following are details from the Saturday morning games. U18 Girls: Bloomfield Force 1, Slammers 1 (Bloomfield Force win on penalties 6-5) Bloomfield's Laura Heyboer had the first chance of the match and her shot was saved by Slammers' goalkeeper Ayana Sumiyasu. Slammers' Alyssa Davila played Ashlee Elliott through with a good pass, but the shot was wide of the target with Bloomfield goalkeeper Jill Fliestra charging off her line.. Sumiyasu then turned in a highlight-reel save to deny Heyboer from another goal. Heyboer and Dani Haelewyn then caused some anxious moments with successive serves, but Slammers defender Taylor Fallon cleaned things up. Slammers showed diversity in the attack, Davila, Elliott and Tanya Emerson looking dangerous. It was Davila who scored the opener for the Southern Californians, curling a free kick around the wall and into the upper 90 for a 1-0 lead. Slammers were minutes away from a championship when a miscommunication in the back gave Heyboer the opening she had been denied to that point, and she guided the ball home to make it 1-1 after regulation. The best chance in overtime came from Christen Press for Slammers, on a setup by Davila, but Fliestra made the save and the match went to penalties. Fliestra saved the first effort of the post-match spot kicks, but Alicia Lugo came up with a big save on Bloomfield's 4th kick. After a Slammers' effort in the 7th round went wide, Bloomfield's Nicole Dulyea converted her kick and the Michigan side had a national title. Bloomfield coach Andy Wagstaff said his team needed to perform at its best to beat Slammers. "I think the teams are that close. They are an excellent team and we knew every one of our players would have to play A+ to have a chance to beat this team and that's what my girls did. They were unbelieveable," he said. "Between U12 and U16 we were there or therabouts, but the last 2 years we've been beaten like 3 times. We've played great and we added a couple of key plays including our goalkeeper Jill Fliestra. Our players got better and we've had a never-say-die spirit as you saw with us scoring at the end of the game. This team is like a family." U18 Boys: Terryville Fire 1, Arsenal FC 0 Matthew Piccoli scored a very nice goal for the New York side at the beginning of the 2nd half for the victory. Arsenal created a number of good chances with their trademark passing game, but Terryville goalkeeper Thomas Booth was outstanding between the sticks and a championship even coach Richard Flaim said was improbable, was earned. Terryville had the first chance of the game when Joseph Tavernese earned a free kick outside the area. Conor O'Brien ripped a drive that Arsenal goalkeeper Jack McCormack bobbled but saved. Terryville's Greg Genco then let rip with a drive after winning a loose ball 30 yards out, but McCormack again made the save. A poor defensive clearance left Arsenal's Davis Paul with a shot on goal late in the half, but Booth was on hand to make the first of many saves. Ryan Thomas had a chance off a corner but Booth snared his near post effort. Terryville's Stephan Zaech played O'Brien through with a good pass and O'Brien followed with a well-struck drive, but McCormack was equal to the challenge and the half ended 0-0. Early in the 2nd half, Alex George played a good pass to O'Brien then turned and played a lovely through pass for Piccoli who took a touch and struck a shot inside the far post for a 1-0 lead to the New Yorkers. Arsenal then set out to equalize and it was Booth again and again who stopped them. Cito Soriano was robbed by a diving save from the Terryville goalkeeper, with Davis Paul, Ryan Peterman and Hector Jimenez all denied by good work from Booth. If Booth was man of the match, honorable mention awards go to O'Brien for running the offense and Alex George for great defensive work. Gerson Mayen and Cito Soriano had solid matches for Arsenal. Terryville coach Richard Flaim said his team benefited from playing Arsenal the day before in group stage play, also a 1-0 win over the defending champions, but noted this match was a different kind of contest. "It was going to be tougher today because we knew they'd come out and give it everything," he said. "Obviously the boys were excited to play them as 3-time national champs, but fortunately we were able to concentrate and deliver today." Flaim added the squad only had 10 men for its first Eastern New York State Cup game, and finished last place in the Region I Premier League due to a number of players being away at college. "We were a little shaky at that point, but we've been able to stay healthy, get our college guys back and once we've gotten everybody back we haven't lost," he said. "This team just rolls with the punches and gives its all no matter who we are playing." U16 Girls: McLean Freedom 3, Dallas Texans 2 (OT) This match was played in a great atmosphere with nearly 1,000 Dallas Texans fans on hand and about 50 supporters of McLean Freedom, including the U17 Richmond Strikers team, all of whom apparently enjoyed a double latte before the match. The vocal support made the match much more fun, and also fueled energy on the field. Erica Hollenberg made a strong run down the right for Freedom, but her cross was headed over the bar. Texans nearly scored when Marissa Holden played Kim Castleberry through, but McLean goalkeeper Melissa Mailley made the first of several big saves to keep the match scoreless. Still, Castleberry continued her excellent play with a breakaway goal on a pass for Mallory Baum midway through the half. Freedom equalized in the 2nd half when Julia Roberts tenaciously battled down the left and on the end line before tapping a pass for Jenna Richmond to knock home from close range for a 1-1 score. Freedom had 3 very good chances to score in the following minutes, including a shot that hit the post with the net wide open, and another that was well-saved by Texans' keeper Brittany Jagger. On the other end Carson Michalowski hit a good chip over the top for Castleberry, whose header was saved at point blank range by Mailley. Michalowski then saved the day on the other, racing back to cleanly tackle Freedom's Caroline Miller after the agile forward had advanced the ball into the area. In overtime, Miller persisted despite a collision with Jagger and controlled the loose ball before slotting home to make it 2-1. After Mailley made another good save from a redirection by Texans' Lisa Sliwinski, Miller made it 3-1 with a rebound effort of a Roberts shot that went off the bar. Texans, who got good midfield play from Alexandria Chandler, got a last-second goal from Lauren Lagro but the match ended 3-2. Freedom goalkeeping heroine Mailley admitted to being nervous but said she plays better in big matches. "I get a bunch of nerves but it kind of fuels me. I've never had such a big situation but I feel I stepped up to the plate and I'm glad I was able to perform well for my team," she said. "We were devastated not to win State Cup and then we needed 3 goals in 20 minutes to win Region I Premier League." Miller agreed that Texans had the advantage in the 1st half, but said calming down made the difference in the 2nd. "We were more relaxed and composed. We were a little uptight before and once we tied the game it settled us down," she said. "I had the worst butterflies in my life, but you have to get over them and play." U16 Boys: Real So Cal 1, Michigan Wolves 0 Real So Cal entered the day with a chance to match the record of 3 consecutive national championships, as they took the title their U14 and U15 years. The Californians took a 3rd minute goal from Zachary Zerrenner, and then James Balba and the So Cal defense held on for the shutout in a 1-0 defeat of Michigan Wolves 1-0 to win their 3rd straight national championship. “This year was the hardest year.” So Cal’s man of the match Balba said. “Three times, not many teams can do that. Arsenal did it and we are trying to catch up with them. This was a team effort, we prepared for this and we sacrificed so much. We are a team, we are best friends on and off the field, and we support each other through everything. If we were without one player we couldn’t do it.” Real came out attacking as the match began, and were able to earn 5 corner kicks within the first 6 minutes. It was the first corner just 2 minutes into the game that Real capitalized for the game’s only goal. So Cal forward Evan Raynr thought he had spotted Wolve’s keeper Rick Pflasterer off his line, but Pflasterer was able to tip the ball over the crossbar. The ensuing corner skipped through the box to Balba at the far post. Balba controlled and passed back into the six where Zerrenner slotted home at the near post. In the 5th minute the Wolves almost gifted SoCal an insurance goal as Real winger Michael Roman crossed from the right, and Wolves defender Garrett Gauruder’s clearance hit the crossbar. The Michigan side got their first opportunity on goal in the 18th minute when Brian Klemczak crossed from the right wing. Forward Shane Lyons was waiting at the far post, but his header was saved. SoCal would come right back down the field as Norberto Rodriguez ran at goal, slid by a defender, and ripped a shot from 20 yards out, but Pflasterer came up with the save. Michigan began to control the possession, but were rarely able to penetrate into the attacking third. Midway through the half Wolves forward Tommy Catalano took a pass from Hamoody Saad near the corner of the box. He faced goal and hit a stinger, but SoCal keeper Elmer Avelar made the diving save. Near the end of the half Real had a chance to go up 2 as Nick Rihn stripped a defender, flicked the ball over the last man, and ran in behind. Pflasterer came out to pressure though, and Rihn’s shot flew by the near post as the half ended 1-0. The Wolves would come out aggressors at the start of the second period. Just 2 minutes in David Yang took a pass in the box with a beautiful spinning turn, but his effort was saved by Avelar. In the 10th minute Wolves earned a free kick in the final third, and Saad sent a cross toward the near post. Lyons had struggled to find the ball in dangerous space but he met this ball with a header that slammed off the crossbar. With 25 minutes remaining Real began to take over as they gained possession and moved the game into Michigan’s half. In the 20th minute Luis Gil and Roman combined to switch the ball to the left for a streaking Rodriguez. Rodriguez settled and pulled a nice move to beat his man and run into the box, but Wolves defender James Leutzinger recovered to win the ball. Just 3 minutes later Roman sent a ball into the box for Raynr, but Pflasterer came out to punch the ball away. Gil was waiting for the rebound, and he hit a shot just wide of the open far post. Wolves had a great chance to pull level in the 26th minute as Lyons spun and sent a low ball into the box. The So Cal defense struggled to read the ball as it rolled through the box, and just past Joshua Gonyea who was sliding in. Real would come right back at Michigan as Gil stripped the ball and beat the last defender on his way to goal, but the sliding shot was saved. Michigan would have 1 more opportunity in the 33rd when Gonyea ran down the right and crossed into the box. Saad met it with a 1-time shot, but it was right at Avelar, and Tyler Lunde, Balba, and Cummings wouldn’t allow Wolves another chance as Real made the 3rd minute goal hold up for the winner. Center midfielder Christopher Cummings was instrumental in winning balls, and was dominant in the air in the 2nd half to thwart Michigan attacks. “This was a well-fought game, and this is the one that meant most to us.” Cummings said about the 3-peat. “This one felt the best. The other years were tough, but this one had more meaning to it. We wanted to fight and we pulled it off.” The U18 boys Arsenal team were defeated in the final for their bid for 4 straight, but all eyes will be on Real next year as a new quest for 4 will begin. U14 Girls: Sting Dallas Royal 2, Slammers FC 1 (OT) There was a large crowd on hand to cheer the home town team to victory in the U14 girls final. Chants of “Let’s go Sting!” willed the Dallas team to an overtime victory over Slammers of Cal-South. After Brooke Johnston put Sting up in the first half on a penalty, Slammer’s Emily Dillon hit a bomb from 30 yards out 2 and a half minutes into stoppage time of the second half. In the second overtime Brittney Nash would pounce on a ball in the box, and score the decisive goal for the national championship. “I’m so stoked!” Said Nash after the game. “This is my first year on the team, and then we go to nationals and won it with my goal. I feel really good about it, and I’m excited because our coach pushes us to do the best we can and we did that today.” The two teams were very evenly matched as the battled and refused to give up many opportunities. “Great game. I think the 2 best teams in the nation were playing in this game, the Slammers are tremendous. They are athletic in every position, they’re talented, they’re crafty.” Sting coach Mary Howard said. Slammers had dominated the game between the 2 in group play, but Howard thought her team could make the corrections to win the final. “We played them in bracket play and struggled, we didn’t perform very well. We just didn’t work very hard, and I’m not taking anything away from Slammers, but I knew we were better than that. And when you are playing in a national championship you hope in the end of it, irrelevant to the result, that you step off and you’ve done everything you can do as a player, and we just didn’t do that in bracket play. So that was kind of our mentality going in.” The defenses were stingy to start the game as there were few real chances to score. Sting tried to penetrate the Slammers box, but Rachael Larson and Genesee Daughetee each made great tackles to deny a chance. As halftime approached Sting won a free kick 30 yard from goal, and Allison Allen ripped a bullet just over the upper corner. But just a minute later Sting were pressing again as Jessica Howard took the ball into the box and was brought down for a penalty. Johnston stepped up to slot the kick, and Sting took the 1-0 lead at the break. The second half brought more tough defensive play, but Slammers did threaten in the opening minutes. Jazmine Rhodes brought the ball down the right side and crossed to Kaitlin Hellmann at the far post, but Sting keeper Nicole Cipriano was there for the save. In the 8th minute Howard ran down a long ball and flicked it over Slammer’s goalie Lindsey Luke. However, Alexandrea Elliott recovered to block the shot on the open net. The half wore on with neither team able to change the score, and it looked as if Sting would take the game. But with seconds remaining Dillon got the ball 30 yards from goal, and sent a shot into the upper corner to level the game. The referee blew the whistle for the end of regulation on the ensuing kickoff. Slammers would get the only chance of the first overtime after they earned a corner kick. Francesca Coxe sent the ball in, and Elliott volleyed, however Cipriano made the save. The second overtime started to go back and forth with Slammers getting a look at an open net in the first minute. Hellmann sent a cross in far post, and Rhodes ran in all alone, but her shot sailed wide as the game stayed tied. In the 5th minute Sting would get the decisive goal as Nash turned into the box from a throw in, and volleyed in the winner. Slammers would push for another, but Sting kept sending the ball down field as time expired. Sting had to overcome the swing of emotion that saw them seconds away from the championship, and then headed to overtime. “We’ve dealt with adversity and hardship throughout the year, but that’s kind of our mentality from the beginning. We rise to the occasion and step up.” Howard said. U14 Boys: Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 2, West Coast FC 1 (OT) Marquez Fernandez scored the overtime winner with his head off a Geaton Caltabiano free kick to give Steve Nichols' Bays side a national title. West Coast had tied the game in the final minute of regulation on a good goal from Guillermo Licona. Mamadou Kansaye had put Bays up 1-0 in the first half. Nichols, who has now won 4 national titles with 3 teams, said the team did well not to let the late equalizer affect them in overtime, noting that defense was the key. "We struggled defensively when we first got them but they just kept getting better and better," Nichols said. "The same thing happened to us at regionals where we gave up a late goal. We responded well then and so that helped us. It was a good less, but that doesn't mean I was happy they gave up that goal." Friday Report FRISCO, TEXAS - Group stage play of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships is complete here with championship matchups determined in 12 age groups. Evening play saw more good groups out at Pizza Hut Park, and additional drama in sorting out the brackets. Perhaps the most dramatic ending came in the U17 Boys matchup between FC DELCO and Andromeda. The Pennsylvania side appeared to be on its way to a berth in the final after a pair of early goals from Steven Miller. This result seemed even likelier after Andromeda had a penalty saved late in the 1st half, but in the final 5 minutes, the hard-charging Dallas-area side got goals from xxx and xxx and pulled out a draw, which combined with FC Milwaukee's 2-0 win over Real Colorado National left DELCO out of the title game and put Andromeda in for a rematch with the Wisconsin side they beat 1-0 on Wednesday night. FC Milwaukee got an early goal from Ethan Finlay and killed off the match in the 2nd half when Mario Falsetti headed home from an Alex Frenz serve. FCM coach Tony Wright said his team's experience from being at this event last year was helpful in a must-win situation. "From nationals last year and regional this year they know the things they have to do to get a result," Wright said. "Basically it's a matter of staying disciplined and playing hard. This is a team full of good players and they play together very well." Bloomfield defeats World Class behind Heyboer double Goals at the beginning and end of the match from Bloomfield Force's all-everything striker Laura Heyboer, plus a team defensive effort provided the margin of victory for the Michigan side to put itself in the final against Slammers and prevent Kaz Tambi's World Class Arsenal from advancing. Heyboer knocked home a rebound of a shot from Lindsey Haroutunian in the 4th minute to put the New Jersey side, which needed a win, not a draw, under the gun. Arsenal kept its composure and played a pretty and simple passing game despite its deficit. Dominque Adamo played a good pass to Danielle Schulmann for a good chance, but Bloomfield goalkeeper Jill Fliestra came off her line to make a big save, the first of many. In the 2nd half Arsenal midfielder Amber Brooks hit a long shot that produced a diving save from Fliestra. Heyboer then went on a lovely 60-yard run but this time Arsenal goalkeeper Katie Piotrowski took the occasion to produce a stretching save and keep her team in business. Increasingly Bloomfield defended in greater numbers with Courtney Shegos, Amanda Bowery, Jackie Carron and Allison Drutchas taking turns winning balls in the air or clearing out service. Arsenal meanwhile produced scoring chances through its strong passing game, while Heyboer waited with loaded gun at the midfield stripe, looking for a chance to put the match away. Stacie Dulkis had a long shot well-held by Fliestra, then Shira Averbuch set up Nicki Gross for a shot that went just wide. Bloomfield just missed a chance to put the game away when Deana Kinter made a good run down the left and sent in a cross for Amanda Bowery, but the volley went over the bar from close range. On a counterattack, Amber Brooks put Arsenal on the board with a shot rolled past the keeper from the left to make it 1-1 at 85 minutes to set up a frantic finish. Schulmann sent in a low hard shot that Fliestra moved quickly to save, but on the ensuing punt, Heyboer ran down the ball, beat 2 defenders with a dribbling run and then fired home for a match-winning and title game-clinching goal. "Our game plan was to defend and every chance we had to play the ball over, because I had 2 defenders with me and knew I could do something to take them on," Heyboer said. "My team did a great job of getting me the ball." Friday's Other Matches Following is a complete report on the morning's matches, including results, match details, standings and pairing for this weekend's championship matches (6 played Saturday and 6 played Sunday). I will be working on and updating these all afternoon. Group stage play for the other 4 age groups will be completed this evening, with a full report added here late tonight. U14 Girls Slammers FC 2, FC Stars 0 The impressive Southern Californian side made it 3 for 3 in group play. Jazmine Rhodes made a run down the right and, shooting from a wide angle, hit the ball inside the back post for a 1-0 lead in just the 2nd minute. Paige Larkin then made a run down the left and hit another good cross that a defender, under duress from Slammers' Emily Dillon, put into her own net. Slammers' Mary Green was very good in winning balls on the flanks and delivering quality crosses. Jordan O'Brien controlled the midfield and showed a lot of skill on the ball. Genessee Daughetee was strong in the back line and won many tackkles, while Lindsey Luke turned in some good saves in goal, including one on a breakaway from Stars' explosive forward Hayley Brock, and another from a very well-struck ball by Rebekah Landers. Stars got good play up from from Brock, with Stephanie McCaffrey also dangerously fast. In the midfield Alexandra Doody created chances for the Massachusetts side. Sting 3, Carmel United 0 The Dallas side nearly scored early when Brittney Nash and Jessica Howard combined for a chance, but Carmel's Kelli Foster came sliding in to break up the chance. Sting's Allison Tyler Allen then hit a free kick from 25 yards that narrowly missed the target. Sting got on the board in the 51st minute when Nash made a surging run through the middle before setting up Hayley Williams who hit a seeing-eye shot into the bottom right corner for a 1-0 lead. Jessica Howard battled through a series of challenges before passing to Shannon Byrd who hit a well-placed shot in the 65th minute for a 2-0 lead. Allison Tyler Allen then killed off the match with a long-range free kick that found its way in for a 3-0 score. Carmel's Kelli Foster hit a free kick from 30 yards in the dying minutes. The shot ricocheted off the wall and back to her, from where she hit a rocket shot off the crossbar, but the match ended 3-0. Erin Sullivan was solid for the Indiana side. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Slammers 9 2. Sting 6 3. FC Stars 3 4. Carmel United 0 Championship Match Slammers vs. Sting Dallas Royal (Saturday at 9:15 a.m.) U14 Boys West Coast FC 3, Sockers FC 2 Sockers were so close to the final they could taste it. With just 12 minutes remaining they were up 2-0 over the Californians on goals from Khaliq Mckenzie and Johnny Watrach, the latter on a Keaton Albert setup, while the other match result was also falling in their favor. Soccer can be the cruelest of games however and it was West Coast who produced a late flourish to earn a championship game berth against Baltimore Casa Mia Bays. Connor Wilkinson played a good ball to Dylan Seedman who finished to cut the lead to 2-1 at 58 minutes. A long free kick from Wilkinson was allowed to bounce in the area and Juan Gutierrez ran onto it to score from close range and make it 2-2. A draw was no good for Sockers and they pressed forward to try and get a late winner, but the vulnerability was exposed and Juan Pablo Ocegueda made a great run and shot for a 3-2 win for West Coast. Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 1, CASL Elite 0 Geaton Caltabiano scored a 2nd half winner for Bays. Marquez Fernandez was a defensive standout while Jonathan Guzman's passing was dangerous for Steve Nichols' side. CASL's Davis Meyer won a lot of balls in the air and played some good services, while Michael Forsyth and Robert Liberatore were good in the back for Bruce Talbot's side. The game marked Talbot's last with the club as the hugely-successful and popular club coach will move to Onslow CSA in Jacksonville, NC to take over as director. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 7 2. West Coast FC 5 3. CASL Elite 2 4. Sockers FC 1 Championship Match Baltimore Casa Mia Bays vs. West Coast FC (Saturday at 9:15 a.m.) U15 Girls So Cal Blues 2, Dallas Texans 2 Texans nearly broke through with a winner in the late going but Blues goalkeeper Megan Ferry made a save and defender Kelsey Wilson blocked a rebound to preserve the draw and put Blues in the final. Texans had gone up in the 1st half on a strike from Alexis Harris that bounded off the keeper before rolling across the line. Blues disputed whether that had happened but the goal was awarded. Alyssa Diggs made a good run down the right for Texans before hitting a cross that Amanda Frisbie headed just wide, but Blues equalized when Elizabeth Eddy's corner was cleared to Sarah Halverson who drilled a shot inside the near post to make it 1-1. Leigh Edwards nearly put Blues up early in the 2nd half with a nice run and cutback, but her shot was kept out by Megan Cherry's diving save for Texans. Gaby Zarnega then set up Blues' Rachel Manning for a hard shot, but Cherry again came up with the save. Blues kept coming forward however and it was Zarnegar who got the go-ahead goal with a corner that bent directly into the back of the net. Texans got an equalizer when Brittany Morgan scored via a rebound, but Ferry's heroics kept the Dallas side from getting a winner and Blues advanced to the final. PDA Fire 2, Ela Elite 0 While all the drama was going on next door in the other U15 game, PDA delivered a workmanlike 2-0 win over the Illinois side to earn a spot in the final. Kristen Niederhaus scored an early goal for Tom Anderson's side, hitting a 1st-time strike into the upper corner. Mary Gibson Wagner was looking dangerous again for PDA, including one move where she nutmegged a defender and then chipped the keeper, but it went just over. Julie Vajda then forced Ela goalkeeper Nicole Lapetina into a finger tip save with a good turn and shot. PDA continued to dominate possession and this led to a 2nd goal just before the break, when Vajda controlled the ball nicely on a pass from Rachel Davitt and finished well to make it 2-0. The New Jersey side, which lost Wagner to an injury, maintained possession well in the 2nd half and killed off the match for a 2-0 scoreline. Danielle Romano played well for Ela. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. PDA Fire 7 2. So Cal Blues 5 3. Dallas Texans 4 4. Ela Elite 0 Championship Match PDA Fire vs. So Cal Blues (Sunday at 9:30 a.m.) U15 Boys Michigan Wolves 1, PDA Larsson 1 Wolves secured a place in the final with a 1-1 draw. Dougleas Beason scored for Lars Richters' side. PDA was already qualified but still took another point, with Johan Hernandez scoring. The teams will play each other again Sunday in the final. Lonestar SC 3, Sereno White 0 Playing just for pride, the Austin team performed more like they had in the Region III Championships. Omar Vallejo volleyed home the opening goal after Victor Garza had been denied on a save from Justin Taillole. After a Sereno own goal made it 2-0 for Lonestar, Vallejo scored a 2nd with a nice individual effort to make it 3-0. Sereno's Quincy Wento showed a lot of creativity in the attack. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. PDA Larsson 7 2. Michigan Wolves 5 3. Lonestar Red 3 4. Sereno White 1 Championship Match PDA Larsson vs. Michigan Wolves (Sunday at 9:30 a.m.) U16 Girls Dallas Texans 4, Michigan Hawks 1 High drama in the U16 age group as goal difference ended up determining who stayed and who left. For Texans, the match got off to a poor start as Hawks' Kate Howarth hit a lovely chip into the area to give Kristen Goncalves an easy finish and a 1-0 Michigan lead. Almost immediately Kim Castleberry put on a great 1v1 move to tie the game for the Dallas side. Texans nearly went up 2-1 right away but Hawks' Ashley Racette produced an amazing sliding clearance off the goal line to keep the match even. Late in the half Texans did go up however, with Ellen Scarfone taking a ball just outside the area on the right and lofting a shot over the keeper and in for a 2-1 lead. In the 2nd half, Marissa Allen hit a serve into the box and Castleberry was there to meet it with a half volley and a 3-1 lead. Alexandria Chandler had her shot bounce off the post for Texans but Marissa Holden was on hand to knock in the rebound and give Dallas a 4-1 lead which proved just enough in the end. On the day, Mallory Baum was good in midfield for Dallas, while Ashley Racette stood out in the Michigan defense. Pleasanton Rage 3, McLean Freedom 1 McLean were in first after 2 wins, and leading this one 1-0 on what is becoming a trademark goal from Caroline Miller, who made a good run and volley after a cross from Erica Hollenberg in the 67th minute. But it almost all went wrong for the DC-area team as Pleasanton suddenly came alive and scored 3 unanswered goals in the final 12 minutes. Sohie Metz tied the game on a 50/50 ball with the keeper after Ahsha Smith hit a cross from the right. After Amanda Luxford's free kick was well-saved by McLean goalkeeper ????, in the 73rd minute Sarah Steele put Pleasanton up 2-1 with a rebound effort. Luxford then hit a lovely free kick from 20 yards out to make it 3-1, but time ran out and the goal difference over 3 matches worked against Jay Fischer's Northern California side. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. McLean Freedom 6 2. Dallas Texans 6 3. Pleasanton Rage 6 4. Michigan Hawks 0 Championship Match McLean Freedom vs. Dallas Texans (7:30 a.m. Saturday) U16 Boys FC DELCO Hammerheads 0, Michigan Wolves 0 These teams scratched and clawed to a scoreless draw, but in the end the result, combined with Real SoCal's win over Houstonians, kept DELCO out of the title game. Wolves' Shane Lyons had an early chance for DELCO goalkeeper Alex Wimmer came up with a good save. DELCO's Chris Harmon made a number of surging runs to keep his team dangerous on the offensive end. Wayne Maminski also excelled in playing well-timed passes and winning tackles. Wolves' goalkeeper Rick Pflasterer was solid for his team, with Hamoody Saad and Tommy Catalano proving to be the most dangerous players for the Michigan team. Real SoCal 3, Houstonians 2 Alberto Bru's team kept its 3-peat quest alive despite a stiff challenge from the Houston side. Evan Raynr scored early on a setup from Christian Vasquez and Norbi Rodriguez. Raynr made it 2-0 early in the 2nd half with a nice move to split 2 defenders before lashing a shot home. Miguel Duran finished a long serve from Antonio Munoz to put the Houston side on the board, but Real answered quickly. Norbi Rodriguez made a run to the end line and then waited before rolling a pass to Christian Vasquez, whose 1st-time strike made it 3-1. Christian Cruz scored a late penalty for Houstonians to provide a final scoreline of 3-2. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Michigan Wolves 7 2. Real So Cal 6 3. FC DELCO Hammerheads 4 4. Houstonians 0 Championship Match Michigan Wolves vs. Real So Cal (Sunday at 7:30 a.m.) U17 Girls Dallas Texans Red 2, Eagles SC 1 The biggest flaw in the competition's current format is when teams have to play on the 3rd day of the event, with nothing left to play for and a return engagement for the title on the books for the next match. Such was the case with this match. Kelsey Owen scored early for the Californians, but Kelsey Blincow and Anne Kendzior fired Texans to the victory. Michigan Hawks 2, Richmond Strikers 0 Clare Stachel and Marilyn Wargo scored for Hawks. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Dallas Texans Red 9 2. Eagles 6 3. Michigan Hawks 3 4. Richmond Strikers 0 Championship Match Dallas Texans vs. Eagles (Sunday at 7:30 a.m.) U17 Boys FC Milwaukee 2, Real Colorado National 0 Andromeda 2, FC DELCO 2 (see above report) Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. FC Milwaukee 6 2. Andromeda 5 3. FC DELCO 4 4. Real Colorado National 1 Championship Match FC Milwaukee vs. Andromeda (Sunday at 9:30 a.m.) U18 Girls Bloomfield Force 2, Arsenal World Class 1 see above report Slammers FC 4, Solar SC 0 Ziad Khoury's Southern Californians took care of business to book their ticket to the final and a rematch of their drawn match with Bloomfield. An early save from Solar goalkeeper Amanda Hall kept Slammers at bay for a while, but Christen Press continued her excellent play here this week with a clever move to tip the ball over a defender and then meeting it with a sweet half volley into the back of the net at the 20-minute mark. Press was feeling it now and turned her marker 7 minutes later before hitting a sizzling drive, but Hall made a good save. The rebound fell to Alyssa Davila who knocked it home for a 2-0 Slammers lead. Kate Edwards hit a volley early in the 2nd half for a 3rd goal and Davila scored again at 52 minutes with a well-taken free kick. (who is #11 for Slammers?) Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Bloomfield Force 7 2. Slammers FC 7 3. Arsenal World Class 3 4. Solar SC 0 Championship Match Bloomfield Force vs. Slammers FC (Saturday at 8 a.m.) U18 Boys NFC Bluejays 4, Atlanta Fire United 3 A wide open game got a fast start when a long pass from Chris Marquiss found Matt Wadleigh, who megged the keeper and finished for a 1-0 NFC lead. The Nebraska side made it 2-0 at 30 minutes when Wadleigh put on a good move to beat his mark, hit a cross that Jeff Thayer dummied before Marquiss met with a good finish for a 2-0 lead. A minute later it was 3-0 when Tim Krueger hit a cross that Marquiss redirected into the back of the net. The 3 goals came despite Atlanta holding the majorityh of the possession, as the Bluejays counterattack was proving most effective. Atlanta got a goal back late in the half. Stephen George earned a corner that Sam Arthur served in and Blake Brettschneider finished with a near post run for a 3-1 score. Arthur almost made it 3-2 a minute later with a header to the far post from a Brettschneider cross, but NFC goalkeeper Brian Holt made a diving save. AFU cut the margin to 3-2 at 56 minutes when Jonathan Collier finished a cross from Jeff Scannella. Stephen George tied it at 76 minutes after good work from Brettschneider on the right. It was another counterattack that gave NFC the win at 85 minutes. Matt Wadleigh made a run down the left and hit a square ball for Tim Krueger who finished into an open net. Terryville Fire 1, Arsenal FC 0 With Arsenal already qualified, Joseph Tavenese's strike gave the New Yorkers a chance to meet them for all the marbles Saturday morning. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Arsenal FC 6 2. Terryville Fire 5 3. NFC Bluejays 4 4. Atlanta Fire United 1 Championship Match Arsenal FC vs. Terryville Fire (Saturday at 8 a.m.) U19 Girls Saturday afternoon Update: The Carmel protest, described below, was upheld by the tournament committee and the match was replayed from the point where the officiating error was made. Carmel converted the penalty and went on to draw the match with PWSI, putting both teams in the final and keeping CASL Spartan Elite from qualifying. The drama here carried on after midnight, as the PWSI Cardinals 5-4 win over Carmel United was protested by the Indiana side afterward over a referee's decision to disallow a 1st half penalty kick goal for Carmel due to encroachment and award an indirect kick to PWSI rather than have the penalty retaken. The Carmel staff were maintaining low blood pressure and very diplomatically carrying out the protest according to organization rules. Protests aside, the match was a stormer. The Virginians scored a gorgeous opener with Julian Johnson ran down the right and crossed for Kristin Vornadore who played it in to Emily Jukich who flicked back to Johnson for a headed goal inside the far post. In the 12th minute Jukich got just enough on a volley from Latrice Lee's cross to make it 2-0. PWSI kept pouring forward and Jukich scored her 2nd, hitting a rebound of her own blocked free kick into the back of the net for a 3-0 lead. Monica Dolinsky crossed and Annie Yi finished as Carmel began to battle back in the 20th minute. Lauren MacCormack then finished a cross from Katelyn Ostendorf to make it 3-2 at 35 minutes. Dolinsky was brought down in the area for a PK and she converted the spot kick herself before the referee, on the advice of the 4th official, awarded the indirect kick to PWSI and disallowed the goal. Carmel tied the score early in the 2nd half when Christine Chuck's cross was headed in at the far post from Krissy Toth. Dolinsky then played Brittany White in for a clinical finish and CArmel led 4-3 at 64 minutes. Just a minute later, PWSI equalized when Jukich connected with a backward flick from Samantha Moskal's headed serve. Patti Benner scored the winner with a header from a corner at 75 minutes. Both teams threatened to score in the remaining minutes, with hat-trick heroine Jukich and Carmel's Dolinsky continuing their strong performances. CASL Spartan Elite 3, Sereno White 1 Jennifer Christoph and Emiko Schwab threatened early for Sereno, while Molly Franklin and Betsy Frederick had chances for CASL. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed CASL went up 1-0 on Sarah Winslow's finish of a free kick from Frederick. Allie Sadow then made it 2-0 with a shot inside the back post. Nicole Dobrzynski scored for Sereno to make it 2-1, heading home a serve from Lindsey Johnson. CASL's Winslow scored another one for the final 3-1 scoreline, this time on a serve by Molly Skinner. Sereno's Winslow and Sadow were impressive, while Kiersten Dallstream was a top talent for Sereno. 1. 2. 3. CASL Spartan Elite 4 4. Sereno White 3 Championship Match Still waiting for word as of early Saturday morning. I suspect a decision has been made, but it will be midday until I'm able to post it. The decision also affects CASL as a draw for Carmel would get them in over the North Carolina side on head-to-head tie break, but a Carmel win would put PWSI and CASL in a tiebreak, and those 2 teams drew Thursday night, leaving it to goal difference which you can't calculate because we wouldn't know what the score of the Carmel-PWSI game until it was replayed. U19 Boys Chicago Magic 0, Dallas Texans 0 This game was a prelude to Sunday's final, and both teams substituted liberally to save it for the real thing Sunday. After a listless 1st half, Texans got the better of play in the 2nd half but no goal was forthcoming. Ross LaBauez, Nick Courtney and Alexandre Ivo played well for Texans. Kyle Russell and Zach Tierney showed well for Magic. Casa Mia Bays 5, San Juan Ruckus 1 Drew Yates created the opening goal with a strong run and pass that Jon Ports moved to Victor Faustino who finished for the goal. Ports helped set up another goal minutes later with a header back to Matt Beckman who lobbed the keeper to make it 2-0. Ports went from provider to scorer with a rocket shot on the end of a 15-pass buildup as Bays turned on the style. Beckman scored next after a nice exchange of passes between Ports, Yates and Beckman to make it 4-0. Beckman made it a hat trick with a hard shot from a Yates setup at the 30-minute mark. Late in the match, Ruckus broke through for a goal when Jeffrey Cosgriff and Patrick Rickards played a 1-2 that Cosgriff finished for a 5-1 final score. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Chicago Magic 7 2. Dallas Texans 5 3. Casa Mia Bays 3 4. San Juan Ruckus 1 Championship Match Chicago Magic vs. Dallas Texans (Sunday at 7:30 a.m.) Day 2 Report FRISCO, TEXAS - Day 2 play is complete here at the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships, with brackets in 12 age groups taking a clearer shape prior to Friday's final day of group play. Melissa Henderson had the performance of the day, scoring all 4 goals in Dallas Texans 4-0 win over Michigan Hawks in U17 Girls play. Henderson scored her 1st 2 goals off of free kicks taken by Jacquelyn Guerra. Henderson headed the 1st and volleyed the 2nd. She then made it 3-0 with a dribbling run through the Hawks back line and a finish. Henderson's 4th goal came in the 2nd half when her shot was saved but the rebound put in front of goal for her to provide the final scoreline of 4-0. Texans also got some good play from Kelsey Blincow and Nicole Crocco, while Hawks' standouts included Anna Cunningham, Theresa Yankovich and Marilyn Wargo. The win puts Texans into Sunday's final against Eagles. The 2 teams also play Friday in a meaningless group match. Saad doubles lifts Wolves over Real So Cal in U16 Boys play Alberto Bru's Real So Cal team was looking good in their bid for a 3rd consecutive national championship after a last-minute Day 1 victory over FC DELCO, and a goal from George Pantelic just before halftime to give it a 1-0 lead over Michigan Wolves. But lightning struck twice for Wolves forward Hamoody Saad in the 2nd half as he hit 2 left-footed bombs within a minute to surprisingly put his team on top 2-1. Real pushed forward to equalize and Russell Jackson had a shot saved by Michigan goalkeeper Rick Pflasterer, while Norby Rodriguez's free kick from just outside the area was blocked by the wall and Wolves hung on for the win. Elmer Avelar was good in goal for Real, making a handful of highlight-reel saves, including 3 in a row against Michigan's very active David Yang. Evan Raynr was also very active for Real, winning a number of corners and generally causing the defense much anxiety. Michigan's Scott Zech came up with some important reads and steps in the back line. Following are results, match details and bracket standings, including the evening matches. Thursday Matches U14 Girls Sting Dallas Royal 4, FC Stars of Massachusetts 2 Sting opened the scoring early when Ashton Geisendorff floated a cross over the penalty area for Brittney Nash, who then chipped the keeper for a 1-0 lead. Sting doubled its advantage a bit later Jessica Howard hit a laser beam into the back of the net. A long serve by Stars nearly eluded everyone for a goal, but Sting goalkeeper Nicole Cipriano just managed to stop the ball before it crossed the line. Sting then had a near miss when Katherine Donahue hit a corner that Emily Bowman met with a powerful header, but the ball crashed off the crossbar and the score remained 2-0 for the Dallas side. Stars then pulled a goal back with Alexandra Doody doing the honors via a well-placed chip from the right. The match's intensity began to pick up by this point with a lot of tough challenges being made and every ball contested. Sting's Brittney Nash made a good run down the left before hitting a cross that Jessica Howard chested down and then knocked home from close range for a 3-1 Sting lead. In the 2nd half, Stephanie McCaffrey scored a lovely individual goal to cut the margin to 3-2, but Jessica Howard finished her hat trick on a good assist from Shannon Byrd for a final 4-2 scoreline. Along with Howard, who performed well in midfield along with scoring the 3 goals, Sting got especially good play from Nash up front and Cipriano in goal. Stars had a strong match from offensive standout Hayley Brock. Slammers FC 2, Carmel United 0 In a match that was beginning to look like a good candidate for scoreless draw, Slammers began asserting itself in the midfield midway through the 2nd half and a period of sustained possession led to a winning goal against a tough Carmel team. The first half didn't feature a lot of clear chances but instead saw much of the play in midfield. Slammers' sweeper Alexandrea Elliott was the dominant player, covering acres of space and winning every ball that came close to her, while Jordan O'Brien was effective at winning battles near the center circle. Kassidy Hause and Emily Dillon had the best efforts on goal for the Southern Californians in the 1st half, with Samantha Muschi earning the best chance of the half for the Indiana side. Erin Sullivan was solid in the Carmel defense. The 2nd half started slowly but Slammers began to pick up the pace, and Kaitlin Hellman forced Carmel goalkeeper Mickinzie Roberts-Lahti into a diving save with a hard shot. Sullivan then headed the resulting corner away, but Slammers were clearly looking dangerous. Hause played a good ball to Jazmine Rhodes, whose shot was only just tipped off by the agile Roberts-Lahti. After Francesca Coxe hit a shot wide for Slammers, George Larsen's team conjured up a winning goal. The sequence started when Hause won a ball just outside the area and hit a curling shot that Roberts-Lahti could only parry. Emily Dillon secured the rebound on the right and sent in a perfectly-place grounded serve that Tessa Andujar deftly redirected into the back of the net for the winning goal. In the closing minutes Hellman hit a drive for a sharp angle that found net for a 2-0 margin of victory. A pretty unlikely combination of results and scoring margins are all that can keep Slammers out of the final now. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Slammers 6 2. Sting Dallas Royal 3 3. FC Stars of Massachusetts 3 4. Carmel United 0 U14 Boys West Coast FC 1, CASL Elite 1 CASL's James Williams was active in the 1st half and created some quality chances for his team, with Ryan Metts causing problems with his distribution, both to Williams and Jacob Sebold, while John Pace had a well-struck ball that went just wide of the post for the North Carolinians. West Coast goalkeeper Daniel Dorantes unearthed a surprising weapon, his punting, which tended to create uneasy situations for CASL in their own area. CASL's best chance of the half came when Williams earned a corner, then headed a Metts' serve off the goalpost. On the other end, CASL Goalkeeper Spencer Lacivita made a good save on a rebound shot from Mario Soto. CASL's Davis Meyer put his team on the board with a perfectly-placed free kick from 30 yards. Andrew Joyce nearly doubled the lead but West Coast's Dorantes made the first of several good stops. He later denied Zachary Diamond from a Forrest Lasso setup. Alexander McCauley was doing very well for CASL with his services and work rate. West Coast got an equalizer when Juan Gutierrez made a good run down the wing and crossed for ???? who finished well. (#9). West Coast nearly got a late winner on #9's strike, but Lacivita made a fantastic save and the match ended at 1-1. Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 2, Sockers FC 1 After Geaton Caltabiano scored in the opening minute, Baltimore's Marquez Fernandez continued the proceedings with a long run through the middle after winning the ball in his own end, but his shot from 25 yards out was over the bar. Johnny Watrach equalized for Sockers after picking up a loose ball in the area. Sylvester Grimaldo had started the play with a good long pass. Jonathan Guzman headed home a 55th-minute winner for Bays on a cross from Caltabiano. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 4 2. CASL Elite 2 3. West Coast FC 2 4. Sockers FC 1 U15 Girls Dallas Texans 2, Ela Elite 1 An own goal off a corner kick by Texan's Brittany Morgan and a Katie Bass strike from outside the 18 led Texans past ELA Elite. Jannelle Flaws supplied the goal for ELA Elite. In the first half Texans kept ELA bottled up and midfielders Alexi Harris and Juliann Jeffrey combined creating multiple scoring chances and a 7-0 advantage in corner kicks for the Texans. Defenders Natasha Anasi and Sydney Eppler kept the Texan back line organized. Despite the Texan pressure ELA went into the half down only 1-0 on a miscleared corner kick that careened into the goal. Kassidy Brown and Taylor Heatherly put in a good half defensively for ELA Elite. ELA Elite came out on fire to open the 2nd half. The re-energized group created 5 free kicks. Goalie Megan Cherry was up to the challenge making a series of diving saves to keep the Texans ahead. A goal kick that was allowed to bounce was met by Ela forward Jannelle Flaws who had a 1v1 and she slotted home for a 1-1 tie. Texans responded immediately with Alyssa Diggs just missing a 1v1 on the goal that missed wide right, 2 shots by Jeffrey and a curling strike that just missed from Victoria Hoffman. Texans scored the winner when Jeffrey played a corner to Lauren Byers who in turn fed Katie Bass, whose shot from outside the 18 found the back of the net to provide the final margin of victory for Texans. Brown, Heatherly and Kelly Brait played well for ELA Elite on the day. So Cal Blues 0, PDA Fire 0 A well-played scoreless draw saw good performances from offensive standouts Elizabeth Eddy of So Cal and Gibby Wagner of PDA, but the collective defensive efforts of these 2 sides carried the day, leaving both teams uncertain about their status for the final. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. PDA Fire 4 2. So Cal Blues 4 3. Dallas Texans 3 4. Ela Elite 0 U15 Boys PDA Larsson 4, Lonestar SC 2 PDA clinched a berth in the final with another good display. Lonestar took the lead on a counterattack from a PDA corner. Jesus Mireles had his shot saved but Victor Garza was fouled in the area for a penalty. Mireles took the spot kick and the Austin team led 1-0 at the 18-minute mark. Robert Barrera tied the game for PDA 10 minutes later with a sensational bit of dribbling and a fine finish. In the 2nd half, Lonestar's Martin Ontiveros put his team back up with a crisp volley inside the near post from just outside the area. PDA answered almost immediately when Barrera stood on his head again, this time chasing down a long ball, cutting inside and hitting a bullet inside the near post to make it 2-2. Johan Hernandez then scored for PDA on an excellent turn and mark, and Barrera killed off the m atch with another golazo, beating 3 men before slotting home for his hat trick. Sereno White 0, Michigan Wolves 0 Joshua Gait's shot in the 21st minute was cleared off the line by Sereno, and Wolves had a number of other good chances kept out by Sereno goalkeeper Justin Taillole. It was Sereno that had a ball cleared off the line in the 2nd half, as Quincy Wento's shot was blocked by Joshua Barens. Cody Henderson, Etienne Lussiez and Soony Saad were all denied by Taillole in the 2nd half. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. PDA Larsson 6 2. Michigan Wolves 4 3. Sereno White 1 4. Lonestar SC 0 U16 Girls McLean Freedom 2, Dallas Texans 1 McLean won again with Caroline Miller and Jenna Richmond scoring 1st half goals. Texans rallied late and got a Kim Castleberry goal following a giveaway in the back, but the DC-area side was able to hang on for the win. Pleasanton Rage 1, Michigan Hawks 0 Ahsha Smith put on a great exhibition of skill and tenacity in leading Pleasanton to a 1-0 win. She added the goal as well, collecting a pass, using a burst of speed to get past the goalkeeper and then finishing into the open net. Michigan's Shannon Cody was solid in defense while Jordan Mueller and Kristen Goncalves were active in the attack for Hawks. Pleasanton showed a very attractive passing game and also a very organized defense led by Jessica Clark, who was strong in the tackle and in the air. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. McLean Freedom 6 2. Pleasanton Rage 3 3. Dallas Texans 3 4. Michigan Hawks 0 U16 Boys Michigan Wolves 2, Real So Cal 1 (see above report) FC DELCO Hammerheads 4, Houstonians 0 The Philadelphia-area side flexed its muscles en route to a shutout win. Chris Harmon made a strong run down the right and the ball in the area. An attempted clearance went to Wayne Maminski who buried a shot from close range to make it 1-0. Harmon and Maminski combined again with the former playing a great through ball and Maminski touching it around the keeper to give himself an open net, which he found with a shot for a 2-0 lead. Adrian Cox's side kept surging foward and got a 3rd goal minutes later. Brian Forgue started the counterattack with a pass to Greg Cochrane. Cochrane ran down the wing and hit a good cross in for Jordan LeBlanc who finished for a 3-0 lead. On the final goal, Kyle Soroka made a run through the middle, fending off multiple challenges before laying the ball off square to Alec Weiss. Weiss then played an exquisite through pass for Danny Dilullo who struck it past the keeper for 4-0. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Michigan Wolves 6 2. FC DELCO Hammerheads 3 3. Real So Cal 3 4. Houstonians 0 U17 Girls Eagles 5, Richmond Strikers 2 Dallas Texans 4, Michigan Hawks 0 (See above report) Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Eagles 6 2. Dallas Texans 6 3. Michigan Hawks 0 4. Richmond Strikers 0 U17 Boys Andromeda 1, Real Colorado National 1 These 2 teams put on an exciting show for several hundred fans on Thursday night, but in the end neither could get the upper hand in a 1-1 draw. Real Colorado started the match brightly, with Jacob Fronapfel Jabari Velinor putting the Andromeda defense under duress. Andromeda goalkeeper Mark Essary needed all his agility to prevent an own goal from scoring after one Real attack. Andromeda's attack got untracked when Nima Naderi played Lucas Joyner in on goal, with his shot going just wide. Fronapfel then made a great run down the right for Real, but his cross went through the 6-yard box with no one able to get a decisive touch on it. A long shot from Ryan Newlin skipped off the wet turf, but Andromeda's Essary held on for the save. On the other end, David Alexander hit a ball that Zachary Funk ran onto and volleyed over the bar. Jochen Graf then made a good run down the left and crossed it through the box. Real's Joey Madigan turned his marker and ran into the area, but Andromeda's Alexander recovered well to make a shot-preventing tackle. Just before the half. Andromeda's Lucas Joyner hit a chip that Jason Guehler headed on goal, but Jonathan Foley made the save for Real. In the 2nd half, Real's Taylor Kemp had a header saved by Essary. Joyner then headed a cross from Nicolas Tausch onto goal, but Foley made the save. Andromeda's Anthony Gerhart was covering acres of space from his sweeper position, winning balls and starting the counterattack well. Real's Isaac Cowles was equally influential in the back for his team, winning balls on the ground and in the air and clearing his lines well. Real broke through with a goal after an Andromeda turnover. Alex Greenman got the ball just outside the penalty area and made a strong run to his left, beating his marker enough to unleash a blistering left-footed drive that beat the keeper near post for a 1-0 lead for the Coloradans. Gerhart started the counterattack for a late Andromeda equalizer, hitting a pass to Guehler who in turn fed Eric Frazier who ran in from the left and finished well to make it 1-1. A late corner from Antonio Rosales forced Gerhart into a vital emergency clearance from the 6-yard box. Rosales and Daniel Starr had late efforts on goal for Real but Essary was able to corral both shots and the match ended all square. FC Milwaukee 1, FC DELCO 0 Jimmy Banks capped a big-time performance with a big-time goal to throw this age group bracket into a jumble. Banks took a pass 30 yards from goal in the 2nd half, avoided a trio of defenders as he dribbled into the box and then hit a cracking finish for what would be the game-winnner. Banks and Ethan Finley remained dangerous throughout the match, keeping DELCO on their toes as they looked for an equalizer. DELCO had created some chances in the 1st half and Joseph Crowley nearly scored with a well struck drive from 20 yards, but it went just wide. Steven Miller also had a shot on goal for the Philadelphia-area side. Jordan Ciuffetelli went on a mazy run after intercepting a pass, but his shot was well-saved from close range by Milwaukee goalkeeper Pat Hardt. After Banks' golazo in the 2nd half, the Wisconsin team held on for the win, with a drive by DELCO's Nicholas Dundon well held by Hardt, who had a good match in goal. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Andromeda 4 2. FC DELCO 3 3. FC Milwaukee 3 4. Real Colorado National 1 U18 Girls Slammers 2, Bloomfield Force 2 The Michigan side went up early when Lindsey Haroutunian scored on a rebound of a saved shot from Laura Heyboer. Jackie Carron then doubled the lead, volleying home from Jessica Leonard. Slammers made it 2-1 in the 29th minute when Christen Press turned in an excellent individual effort from the left. Bloomfield's Heyboer went on an electrifying run from midfield, fighting off a challenge before shooting just wide of the post. In the 2nd half, Press turned on the jets to beat 2 defenders before having it poked away in the area. Ashlee Elliott got the ball and hit a shot just wide for Slammers. Elliott then setup the equalizer with a good turn and flick for the onrushing Press who knocked it past the goalkeeper to make it 2-2. The game continued to be hard fought but the good chances began to decrease in frequency. Leslie Grandy was especially good in the backline for Ziad Khoury's Slammers, while Nicole Dulyea stood tall in defense for Bloomfield. Arsenal World Class 4, Solar SC 3 Solar's Lauren Shepherd nearly put her team up early by winning a ball through pressure of the Arsenal back line. When Arsenal employed the same tactic it paid off in a goal. Sylvia Stone did the honors after collecting the ball on the edge of the area and firing home. Solar were unlucky not to equalize when Alexandra McMichael's service handcuffed the keeper and Danielle Herron's shot hit the crossbar. A long throw by Chelsea Palmer was flicked on by Herron, but the ball went through the 6-yard box and no Solar player could reach it. Arsenal then got a world class goal from Schulmann, who finished a dribbling run with a clever finish for a 2-0 lead to the New Jersey side. Solar answered late in the half when Palmer's free kick rocketed off the wall and left the keeper stranded as it crossed the line to make the halftime score 2-1. Arsenal steadied the ship with a goal 9 minutes in to the 2nd half. Amber Brooks left the keeper with no chance when she perfect bent the ball around the wall into the upper 90 for a Beckhamesque strike and a 3-1 lead. Solar continued to fight however and Lauren Shepherd made a godo run down the right and lofted a cross in that was directed into the net by a PDA defender to make it 3-2. Kaz Tambi's team then killed the match off with a 70th minute goal as Jessica Hurtado powering a free kick into the upper corner of the net for a 4-2 score. Solar got a consolation goal in the final minute when Shepherd went on another dribbling run and passed the ball to Caitlin McDowell, who followed with a beautiful pass for Brianne Frost who tapped in. Brooks and Schulmann were standouts for Arsenal while Shepherd had a great match for Solar. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Bloomfield Force 4 2. Slammers FC 4 3. Arsenal World Class 3 4. Solar SC 0 U18 Boys Arsenal FC 3, NFC Bluejays 1 Arsenal clinched a spot in their 4th consecutive final with a 3-1 win. Cameron Lamming and Gerson Mayen combined to put Ryan Thomas into the area and Thomas finished well for a 1-0 lead in the 11th minute. Nebraska hadn't been out of their end much but Josh Moran provided an excellent individual play to tie the game at 1-1 23 minutes in. Moran's cutback lost his marker and he then delivered a hard shot for the goal. Just as they had done on Wednesday, the 3-time defending national champions took all of 1 minute to go back on top. Ryan Peterman provided a great finish after Mayen had chipped into the area. In the 2nd half Thomas missed getting a 2nd when his rocket shot hit the crossbar, but Davis Paul scored in the 53rd minute on a rebound of a blocked shot from Cito Soriano. Arsenal goalkeeper Luis Ocampo turned in a good save on a shot from Tim Krueger, while Peterman and Hector Jimenez combined for a good chance, but NFC goalkeeper Robin Fifegriffith saved the latter's shot. Jeff Thayer performed well in defense for NFC while the entire Arsenal team has to be credited with playing some of the most attractive and functional soccer of the tournament thus far. Terryville Fire 2, Atlanta Fire United 2 The New Yorkers went up early with Conor O'Brien providing an easy finish from good work on the left by Joseph Tavernese. O'Brien nearly scored again shortly afterward but Nasarachi Onyeuku provided an acrobatic clearance off the line for Atlanta. Terryville did go up in the 2nd half on a strike from a sharp angle by James Pymm. Down 2-0, Atlanta rallied to preserve their chance to play in the final. Sam Arthur scored with a strong run through the middle and a deft finish. The South Carolina-bound power forward then equalized with a well-taken free kick on the deck at the 76 minute mark. Terryville might have snatched the 3 points back as O'Brien hit a bullet shot, but Atlanta goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer turned in the save of the week to preserve the 2-2 draw. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Arsenal FC 6 2. Terryville Fire 2 3. NFC Bluejays 1 4. Atlanta Fire United 1 U19 Girls PWSI Cardinals 1, CASL Spartan Elite 1 Sereno White 1, Carmel Cyclones 0 Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. PWSI Cardinals 4 2. Carmel Cyclones 3 3. Sereno White 3 4. CASL Spartan Elite 1 U19 Boys Chicago Magic 3, Casa Mia Bays 2 Magic rode industry and a fluke goal to a 3-goal lead, then hung on for dear life in the face of a furious Bays rally. Steve Kolzow put John Hannan's team up 1-0 with a header from a good cross by Mark Blades in the 25th minute. Chicago went up 2-0 in the 52nd minute when Kyle Knotek served in a long free kick that was headed across goal and fired in by Andy Masteller. The 3rd goal was truly bizarre as the Casa Mia goalkeeper's throw bounded off the back of Zach Tierney's head and into the goal for 3-0. Casa Mia scored in the 76th minute when Justin Lichtfuss rolled a ball for Matt Beckman who scored perhaps the last of many long bombs in his Casa Mia career, scoring from 30 yards. A flick-on header from Jonathan Ports put Lichtfuss in on goal in the 79th minute and he finished well to make it 3-2. Given the nature of Magic's 3rd goal and a shot from Kwame Darko off the bar will have Bays feeling unlucky with the result, but Magic are in the final now and former 2-time national champion Bays are eliminated in their swan song. Dallas Texans 1, San Juan Ruckus 1 This match was closely contested but not so wide open. Alexandre Ivo created a chance for Texans with a pass that Bill Dworsky flicked on for Jon Villanueva who beat a defender and hit a shot from inside the 18, but it was cleared off the line. It was Texans only chance of the half. Ruckus also did not generate much in the way of offense. The tackles were flying fast and furious in the 2nd half. Ruckus got a chance when Trevor Hatzke made a dribbling run into the area before feeding Jeffrey Cosgriff who hit a shot that beat the keeper, but Nick Courtney cleared it off the line for Texans. Ruckus went up when Hatzke stole a pass and played a through ball for Cosgriff who took a touch and finished in the lower left corner for a 1-0 lead. Texans goalkeeper Maros Valko later made a diving save to deny Jose Garcia's well-struck effort. Just when it looked like Ruckus would still the 3 points, Stephen Brown won the ball with a tackle before hitting Villanueva with a pass. The Virginia star dribbled past 2 Ruckus player before hitting a left-footed laser beam to beat the keeper and salvage a 1-1 draw for Texans. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Wins, Losses, Draws, Points, Goals For, Goals Allowed 1. Chicago Magic 6 2. Dallas Texans 4 3. San Juan Ruckus 1 4. Casa Mia Bays 0 Wednesday Report FRISCO, TEXAS - Her name is Gibby for short and Mary Gibson Wagner for long. But whatever you call the talismanic PDA Fire forward, you have to call her one of the very best players in the country at her age group, and Wednesday’s opening match of the U.S. Youth Soccer National Championships provided another reminder of that. Wagner scored 2 excellent goals to lead her team to a 2-0 victory over Dallas Texans in U15 Girls play. On the opening goal she made a weaving run from the right into the area before lashing a shot home. On the 2nd, she again began a run from midfield, played a neat 1-2 with teammate Julie Vajda, and after fending off a tough challenge, again finished well to give PDA a 2-0 halftime lead. As always, victories are team efforts and Wagner had plenty of support in holding onto the margin of victory. Midfielders Alex Baca and Rachel Davitt were instrumental in seeing that PDA held the lion’s share of possession, while the back line of Karly O’Toole, Emily Parisi, Kacie Kergides and Shannon Roche kept Texans from getting any good chances on goal. Texans did seem to create more as the 2nd half wore on. Perhaps their best chance came in when Amanda Frisbie played a good ball to Brittany Morgan on the left, and Morgan followed with a nice cutback move before advancing into the area and firing a how, hard shot that PDA goalkeeper Carly Gallagher had to move quickly to save. Lauren Byers and Juliann Jeffrey both tested Gallagher in the 1st half, but Shawn Cantrell’s team couldn’t break through on the day. The win, coupled with So Cal Blues shutout of Ela Elite in the other U15 game, sets up an important match Thursday morning, with a team that can earn 3 points being assured of a place in this weekend’s final. (Following are full results and report on many other Wednesday matches) Wednesday Matches U14 Girls FC Stars 3, Carmel United 1 Hayley Brock, Stephanie McCaffrey and Phoebe Tateronis scored for the Massachusetts side, with Haley Keller scoring for Carmel. Slammers 3, Sting Dallas Royal 0 Emily Dillon scored twice and Francesca Coxe once for Slammers. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. FC Stars of Massachusetts 3 2. Slammers FC 3 3. Carmel United 0 4. Sting Dallas Royal 0 U14 Boys CASL Elite 0, Sockers FC 0 Sockers had the better of possession in the early going with Tom O'Brien proving to be an effective pivot in the midfield. Many of the attempted attacks seemed to be aimed at setting Ryan Dodson behind the defense, but the CASL back line maintained its discipline. On one occasion when Dodson did get loose, CASL's Spencer Lacivita made a good save. Sockers' center back David Abidor was putting in a solid shift on the other end. CASL's best 1st half chance came on a deflected drive by Davis Meyer that went just wide. In the 2nd half, Sockers' Taylor Cole sent in a good service that Dodson redirected with a nice, 1st-time effort, but it was blocked at the defense. Meyer just missed striking for CASL with a left-footed bomb from 20 yards that hit the meeting of the crossbar and upright and went straight down, but definitely not over the line. James Williams had another chance for CASL with a good run across the top of the area, but his shot was kept out by a diving save by Jeffrey Gal in the Sockers' net. Dodson had one last chance for Sockers but his effort was kept out by another diving save from CASL goalkeeper... Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 1, West Coast FC 1 After a scoreless and foul-plagued 1st half, Bays' player Mamadou Kansaye benefited from a terrific buildup and hit a left-footed shot inside the post to put Steve Nichols' team up 1-0. A 2nd goal 25 minutes in was disallowed for offside. Ioannis Sarioglou earned a free kick for the Marylanders and a header from Geaton Caltabiano was saved brilliantly by West Coast goalkeeper Daniel Doriantes It was one of many occasions where ???? kept the Southern California side in the game. This paid off in the end when Juan Gutierrez won a ball, beat his marker and slid a shot from the edge of the area into the lower left corner, just evading the keeper's reach in the final minute to earn a 1-1 draw for his team. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. CASL Elite 1 2. Sockers FC 1 3. West Coast FC 1 4. Baltimore Casa Mia Bays 1 U15 Girls PDA Fire 2, Dallas Texans 0 (see above report) So Cal Blues 3, Ela Elite 0 Elizabeth Eddy belongs right there with Wagner in any conversation about the best players in the country. She was dominant up front in this game, showing great skill and scoring a nice goal. Gillian Hogan added another for Tad Bobak’s team from a scramble in front after a corner kick, and Gaby Zarnegar also scored for So Cal. Etajha Gilmer and Sarah Halverson also had solid performances. Taylor Heatherly got good marks for Ela for her play in the back. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. PDA Fire 3 2. So Cal Blues 3 3. Ela Elite 0 4. Dallas Texans 0 U15 Boys PDA Larsson 2, Sereno White 0 Jeffrey Eisenbud and Johan Hernandez each scored for John Murphy’s New Jersey side. Hernandez in particular was a standout for PDA, showing a lot of energy in running all over the field. Alex Bramall was good in midfield while Scott Keogh did well in defense. Patrick Bonitatibus, Carter Owen and Michael Buric were standouts for Sereno. Michigan Wolves 2, Lonestar SC 1 Joshua Gait put Wolves up early, and Soony Saad doubled the Michigan side’s advantage early in the 2nd half. Eric Robertson scored a late goal for the Austin team, but Lars Richters’ side was able to hang on for the win. Saad, Gait and Jordan Tyler stood out for Michigan,with Jesus Mireles and Martin Ontiveros playing strong matches for Lonestar. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. PDA Larsson 3 2. Michigan Wolves 3 3. Lonestar SC 0 4. Sereno White -0 U16 Girls Dallas Texans 2, Pleasanton Rage 0 Pleasanton's Ashley Loughmiller kept the match scoreless by clearing a shot from Alexandria Chandler off the line. Chandler had been setup up nicely by Kristen Cummins. On the other end, Texans' keeper Brittany Jagger made a nice save on Olivia Klei's effort. Pleasanton's Sophie Metz was causing Texans problems with her attacking runs from left back. One especially good cross had to be cleared in emergency fashion by Texans' defender Lauren Lagro. Ahsha Smith then stole a pass and hit a chipped shot just wide of the Dallas goal. Chandler was playing with a lot of fire for Texans and forced Pleasanton keeper Madeline Fox into a diving save with a hard, 20-yard shot. The near-miss was a foreboding, and Texans went on top late in the half Ellen Scarfone beat a defender down the right and hit a cross that Cummins met with a sliding volley for a lovely goal and a 1-0 lead for Kenny Medina's squad. Texans began to impose themselves on the game in the 2nd half, altough the pace of play was beginning to slow. When a defender slipped it left Marissa Allen 1v1 with Pleasanton defender Jessica Clark, who did well to block the shot for a corner. Kim Castleberry played the ball in and, after it hit a defender, fell to Chelsea Geller who calmly slotted home for a 2-0 advantage. Pleasanton rallied late and created a good chance when Metz hit a shot off the post, but Texans' defense, led by Carson Michalowski with intelligent steps to cut off passes, held firm for the win. Mclean Freedom 3, Michigan Hawks 0 Caroline Miller, Laura Yu and Erica Hollenberg scored for the Virginia side. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. McLean Freedom 3 2. Dallas Texans 3 3. Pleasanton Rage 0 4. Michigan Hawks 0 U16 Boys Real So Cal 1, FC DELCO Hammerheads 0 This rematch of last year’s championship game saw James Balba score a last-minute winner and Elmer Avelar earn his team a result with a trio of tremendous 2nd half saves in goal. Alex Wimmer also had a pair of quality 2nd half saves for DELCO to keep his team in the hunt. For 2-time defending national champion Real So Cal, Evan Raynr enjoyed a good game, with his ability to thread the needle in passing particularly impressive. Zach Zerrenner came close to scoring with a shot off the crossbar. Michigan Wolves 1, Houstonians 0 Tommy Catalano scored the winner for Wolves. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. Real So Cal 3 2. Michigan Wolves 3 3. Houstonians 0 4. FC DELCO Hammerheads 0 U17 Girls Eagles 2, Michigan Hawks 0 Emily Cressy scored a goal in each half to pace Vince Thomas's Southern Californians. Cressy ran onto a bounding ball in the area from Sidney Garza's free kick and struck a volley just under the crossbar to put her team up 1-0. In the 2nd half, Nicole Sweetman made a good move into the area before lashing a shot on net that Hawks' goalkeeper Haley Kopmeyer did well to save, but Cressy was there to knock the rebound home for a final scoreline of 2-0. The game was rather direct on both ends and didn't feature much in the way of combination play. Cressy was a very dangerous player all night for Eagles. Megan Blankenburg was very influential in midfield for Eagles and Kim Siebert was solid in defense for Hawks, with Alisha Lussiez dangerous in the Michigan attack. Eagles Starting Lineup GK: Shaine Millheiser D: Amelia Mathis, Kelsea Smith, Courtney Goodson M: Haley Wilson, Lindsey Armenta, Megan Blankenburg, Kelsey Owen F: Nicole Sweetman, Samantha Greene, Emily Cressy Michigan Hawks Starting Lineup GK: Haley Kopmeyer D: Kim Seibert, Kelsey Kassab, Afton Delvecchio, Katie Chaklos M: Jenna Carosio, Theresa Yankovich, Anna Cunnincham, Alisha Lussiez F: Clare Stachel Dallas Texans 3, Richmond Strikers 2 Notre Dame-bound Melissa Henderson had an outstanding game, scoring a goal, assisting another and causing havoc for Richmond until she went out injured in the 2nd half. Henderson was seen jogging with her teammates afterward and her injury didn't appear to be serious. She definitely left her mark, on the match however. Her first goal came in the opening 10 minutes as she received a pass and beat 4 defenders before firing inside the back post from the edge of the 18. Strikers equalized through April Price after Lauren McCoy played a ball back across the 6-yard box. After Dawn Ward narrowly missed for Texans with a long-range effort, Richmond's Kristin Lescalleet forced Texans keeper Courtney Smith into a fingertip save. Henderson then created the Texans' 2nd goal by beating 2 players and playing a ball across the face of goal to Nicole Crocco who made no mistake on the finish for a 2-1 Dallas lead. Henderson remained active into the 2nd half and was denied a great goal by Richmond goalkeeper Lindsey Rowe, who saved an attempted chip. Jessica Schuveiller then gave Dallas a valuable insurance goal with a well-taken free kick to make it 3-1. Strikers kept pressing however and got a consolation goal in the final minute when Lescalleet sent a long free kick in and Lauren McCoy finished to provide the final scoreline of 3-2. April Price was Richmond's most dangerous player on the evening, with good support from Lescalleet and Kathleen Russell. Ashley Rape and Amanda Howell were solid in central defense for Kenny Medina's Texans' side. Dallas Texans Starting Lineup GK: Courtney Smith D: Jessica Schuveiller, Ashley Rape, Amanda Howell, Amanda Fancher M: Lucy Keith, Jacquelyn Guerra, Kailey Anders F: Dawn Ward, Melissa Henderson, Kelsey Blincow Richmond Strikers Starting Lineup GK: Lindsey Rowe D: Joan Bilms, Mary Meredith, Kristin Lescalleet, Lindsay Wicher M: Emily Tatum, Kathleen Russell, Lauren McCoy, Molly McKeon F: April Price, Kathleen Russell Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. Eagles 3 2. Dallas Texans 3 3. Richmond Strikers 0 4. Michigan Hawks 0 U17 Boys Andromeda 1, FC Milwaukee 0 Jason Guehler scored the winner for Andromeda. FC DELCO 2, Real Colorado National 1 Jeffrey Bowen scored the winner for DELCO in the 2nd half, just minutes after Daniel Starr had equalized for Real Colorado. Steven Miller scored early for DELCO. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. Andromeda 3 2. FC DELCO 3 3. FC Milwaukee 0 4. Real Colorado National 0 U18 Girls Bloomfield Force 2, Solar SC 1 The upstart Dallas side left no misunderstanding as to whether they are for real, scoring the opening goal and giving the Michigan side all they wanted until succumbing to a stoppage time winner from Selena Stanski. Danielle Herron's corner was cleverly dummied by Brandi Neilson, allowing Caitlin McDowell the chance to drive the ball home for a 1-0 Solar lead. Bloomfield equalized in the 2nd half when Laura Heyboer intercepted an attempt to head the ball back to the goalkeeper and finished into an open net. Stanski then scored in the 3rd minute of stoppage time with a rebound of a saved shot. Slammers FC 1, Arsenal World Class 0 Christen Press scored the winner for Slammers. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. Bloomfield Force 3 2. Slammers FC 3 3. Arsenal World Class 0 4. Solar SC 0 U18 Boys Arsenal FC 2, Atlanta Fire United 1 In their quest for a 4th successive national championships, Steve Lucey's squad have at times perhaps had the benefit of the opposition being afraid of them. Wednesday's match with Atlanta Fire was not one of the times. The Georgians came out and looked to match the Southern Californians attack for attack, and while Arsenal had the edge in possession and chances over the first 45 minutes, it was not a lopsided game. That made it all the more difficult for Massoud Roushandel's side when late in the 1st half, Arsenal's Hector Jimenez intercepted an attempted clearance in the penalty area and played a pass to Ryan Peterman, leaving Peterman with the simplest of finishes for a 1-0 Arsenal lead. Cito Soriano might have doubled the lead in the half's final minute, but AFU goalkeeper Jimmy Maurer made a big save to keep things close. In the 2nd half, it was Atlanta that started out as the brighter side. Juan Carlos Nandi crashed a shot off the crossbar and Caleb Suri also came close. Jonathan Hull ended up putting AFU on the board with a good strike from a sharp angle and the match was suddenly even. Almost immediately afterward Arsenal responded with the response of a champion. Midfielder Gerson Mayen played a nice 1-2 with Peterman before finishing from close range and just like that it was 2-1 again for the Californians. Atlanta pressed for an equalizer in the closing minutes and came closest when Jonathan Collier's header of a Jeff Scannella corner kick bounded off the ground and toward the net, but Arsenal goalkeeper Jack McCormack tipped the ball over the bar to preserve the victory. Sam Arthur was solid in holding the ball up for Atlanta, while Rafael Garcia played well in midfield for Arsenal. Terryville Fire 0, NFC Bluejays 0 Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. Arsenal FC 3 2. Terryville Fire 1 3. NFC Bluejays 1 4. Atlanta Fire United 0 U19 Girls PWSI Cardinals 3, Sereno White 0 Carmel Cyclones 1, CASL Spartan Elite 0 Annie Yi scored the winner for Carmel. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. PWSI 3 2. Carmel Cyclones 3 3. CASL Spartan Elite 0 4. Sereno White 0 U19 Boys Dallas Texans 2, Casa Mia Bays 0 A real clash of the titans here as Dallas Texans, looking for a 3rd consecutive national title in this age group, faced off against the team who won it the 2 years prior to that, Casa Mia Bays coached by Steve Nichols. The night belonged to Texans. David Murphy, Nicholas Courtney and Stephen Brown led a solid defensive effort, while Bill Dworsky performed well in a playmaking role. Drew Yates was solid for the Maryland side, which held a good bit of possession but didn't create as many opportunities as Texans. Bryan Sajjadi scored the opener for Texans in the 1st half, shooting over the keeper on a cross from the left by Dworsky in the 9th minute. Dworsky went from provider to scorer in the 22nd minute with a header from a cross by Brown. Chicago Magic 2, San Juan Ruckus 1 Magic nearly scored midway through the opening half when Mark Blades hit a great cross that Mark Zeman headed just wide. Late in the half, Alex Holmes hit a shot just wide off a free kick for Magic. Magic took a lead in the 2nd half off a corner. Tim Walsh headed home from a cross by Blades and it was 1-0 for John Hannan's team. Ruckus responded with Jeffrey Coggan hitting a shot that Magic goalkeeper Pat Rickman had to make a great save on to keep out. Trevor Hatzke then came close with a free kick for Ruckus, but the shot went wide. Magic then went up 2-0 and Blades was again involved, playing a free kick to the back post where Taylor Waspi was on hand to head home. Jeffrey Cosgriff then scored for Ruckus, redirecting a shot from Hatzke after a failed attempt to clear a corner. Mark Zeman and Steve Kolzow combined to set up a good chance for Magic, with Ruckus goalkeeper Ryan Kenny forced to make a diving save and the match ended 2-1. Jeff Cosgriff was strong in the attack for Ruckus, while Chris Schuler impressed in central defense for Magic. Age Group Standings (Place, Team, Points 1. Dallas Texans 3 2. Chicago Magic 3 3. San Juan Ruckus 0 4. Casa Mia Bays 0