Final Teams Crowned at US Youth Soccer Region III Championships
The final teams at the US Youth Soccer Region III Championships earned berths to the national championships to be held next month in Frisco, Texas.
The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the U13 through U19/20 Boys and Girls age groups, as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the U15 through U19/20 Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 96 teams.
Youth Soccer News: The 2017 US Youth Soccer Region III Championships came to a close on Thursday as 12 teams were crowned champions. Not only will the teams leave as Regional winners, but they join the two previous title holders in securing a berth to the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships, which will be held July 24-30 in Frisco, Texas.
In the U18 Boys division, UFA 99 Premier’s Jose “Gaucho” Pinho was enthusiastic at his Georgia side’s win on Thursday and how hard the team worked to be crowned champions.
“The Region III Championships are very hard. Finishing first is a fantastic feeling because we’ve done this five times in a row,” said Pinho. “We always want to come back and win Region III Championships because we know this region is very, very competitive. I’m very happy for the boys for all of their hard work.”
In addition, Pinho believes the Region III Championship games are preparing his players for the collegiate level. For UFA 99 Premier, Pinho wants his players to not only play for their respective college squads, but excel on them.
“The older you get, you are getting closer to your goal, and their goal is getting to college” Pinho said. “College is very intense and all these games have given them a little taste of what they are going to face going forward. It is important to them to start to get used to the pressure. Since we have gone through the [Region III Championships] five times, I think this will make them way stronger.”
Girls Final Highlights
U13 Girls
Lonestar 04 Red (TX-S) defeated NTH TopHat 04 Platinum, 3-1, for the Region III Championships title. Lonestar’s Karleigh Villanueva was first to score for either club in the 31st minute before NTH’s Alexandra Ross leveled the score at 1-1 in the final minute. With that, the teams headed into overtime. Lonestar’s Ella Eggleston scored two goals in extra time to give her side the win.
U14 Girls
In a nail-biting performance by Tennessee SC Showcase (TN) and Florida Elite 2003 (FL), the game was decided by a penalty shootout. In the 54th minute, Hayley Howard netted the opening goal for Tennessee SC. Just 10 minutes later, Florida Elite’s Alexi Pitt found the equalizer. The game was decided by kicks from the mark in which Tennessee SC was victorious and punched its ticket to the National Championships.
U15 Girls
In a battle between two Solar Chelsea teams, Solar Chelsea Grado (TX-N) defeated Solar Chelsea Naizer (TX-N), 1-0. The lone goal of the game was scored by Haley Lopez in the 21st minute. Both Solar Chelsea teams played a fantastic match and fought until the final whistle blew. With the win, Solar Chelsea Grado now has a spot in the National Championships, where it will compete in front of local fans in Frisco, Texas.
U16 Girls
Florida Elite 2001 (FL) hoisted the Region III Championships title in the U16 Girls division with a win over SLSC Cosmos 01 Lawless (OK). In a back-and-forth matchup, the first goal of the game was scored by Florida Elite’s Aaliyah Thompson in the 34th minute and four minutes later, Avery Patterson extended the score to 2-0. To come within one goal, SLSC’s Monika McGee found the back of the net in the 41st minute. In the opening minutes of the second half, Thompson scored her second goal of the game to finalize the score at 3-1. Since Florida Elite is advancing to Nationals as a National League qualifier, the SLSC Cosmos will head to the National Championships as the Region III rep.
U17 Girls
Two goals within one minute of each other were the deciding factor in the U17 Girls final between 00 TFCA Alliance (NC) and Sunrise Sting 2000 (FL). Though the first half was scoreless, TFCA found the back of the net in the 68th and 69th minutes with goals from Erin Dilweg and Sara Moushegian. The win capped a fantastic performance during the course of the last week at Region III Championships, as TFCA scored 12 goals and conceded none over its final five games.
U18 Girls
TSC Showcase (TN) was crowned Region III Champions with a 3-1 victory over OFC Hampton (OK). TSC Showcase struck first in the game with a goal from Tally Bishop in the 38th minute. In the 66th minute, Emma Rice tied up the score at 1-1. To give TSC Showcase the advantage, Julie Garst found the back of the net in the 85th minute. The final goal was netted by Peyton DePriest in the 90th minute. In the last three matches of Region III Championships, TSC Showcase scored fourteen goals and only allowed three. OFC Hampton (OK) will advance to National Championships while TSC Showcase moves on as a National League qualifier.
Boys Final Highlights
U13 Boys
In a championship battle between two Oklahoma squads, TSC Hurricane 04 Umelo (OK) edged Oklahoma FC 04 (OK), 2-0. Angel Dimas netted one for TSC in the 8th minute of play and Ian McIntosh scored the final goal of the game in the 52nd minute. TSC went a perfect 6-0 throughout Region III Championships and is headed to the coveted National Championships next month.
U14 Boys
USA/MP 2003 Premier (SC) came away with a 3-1 win over Tennessee SC 2003 Showcase (TN) to hoist the U14 Boys title. In the first minute of the match, Lance Friedrich got USA/MP off to a great start with a quick goal. Chance Kennedy contributed USA/MP’s second goal in the 25th minute, and Friedrich added his second goal of the match in the 35th minute. Tennessee SC recorded an own goal in the game.
U15 Boys
Behind offense prowess, Solar Chelsea Red 02 Stricker (TX-N) outscored ID Club Division 02 (TX-S), 6-0. Solar Chelsea scored two goals in the first 11 minutes from Riley O’Donnell and Harvey Castro. The last goal of the first half was netted by Richard Garcia. To open the second half, Solar’s IIean Castorena made the score 4-0. The final two goals of the game were recorded by O’Donnell and Ethan Orozco. In addition, since Solar Chelsea already had a bid to National Championships via the National League, ID Club Division 02 (TX-S) has punched a ticket to National Championships as well.
U16 Boys
Tampa Bay United (FL) punched its ticket to the 2017 National Championships with a 4-0 win over Solar Chelsea 01 Elite (TX-N). Tampa Bay’s Beaudouin Tailefer recorded the first goal of the match in the 35th minute and 10 minutes later Trevor Stanley added another. To open the second half, Joshua Colledge recorded Tampa Bay’s third goal and Donald Williams closed out the scoring in the 65th minute — capping the Florida side’s 4-0 win.
U17 Boys
FC Dallas 00 Premier (TX-N) edged CASL Red 00 North (NC), 4-1, to claim the U17 Boys title. In the 11th minute of play, CASL’s Andrew Rossetti found the back of the net to put his side in front. That lead held until the final minute, when Joseph Nelson equalized for FC Dallas to send the clubs into overtime. In the 106th, 108th and 120th minutes, FC Dallas struck three times. Two of the three goals came from Fabian Cruz and one from Marcos Puga. With the win, FC Dallas earned a chance to play for the National title on its home fields.
U18 Boys
UFA Premier (GA) edged Arkansas Comets 99 Premier (AR), 2-1, in a back-and-forth championship matchup. In the opening minutes of the game, Pedro Garcia found the back of the net for the Arkansas Comets. In the 55th minute, Carlos Reyes leveled the score at 1-1, and he struck again in the 87th minute for the winning goal of the match. With the final result, UFA Premier will head to the National Championships in Frisco, Texas, where games will start July 25.
