GROUP STANDINGS SOLIDIFIED AT 2015 NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS

48 Teams Advance To Play In Weekend’s Finals And Semifinals

The 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships continued Thursday with the third and final day of group play at the Mohawk Soccer Complex in Tulsa, Oklahoma. The Under-13 and Under-19 final matchups are now set, while the final four teams in each of the Under-14 through Under-18 gender age groups have been determined.

Five of the six defending National Champions advanced to the semifinals of their respective age groups, with three of the teams winning their groups.

Following a rest day on Friday, the Under-14 through Under-18 teams will compete in semifinal games on Saturday morning, and the first champions will be crowned Saturday night when Under-13 and Under-19 sides take the field for their Championship finals.

Saturday’s finals include the Under-19 Boys Championship, as St. Louis Scott Gallagher (MO) and Massapequa Arsenal (NY-E) compete for the James P. McGuire Cup, the oldest and most prestigious trophy in youth sports. The 80th McGuire Cup final kicks off at 8 p.m. CT on Field 12 of the Mohawk Soccer Complex.

While those teams are looking to add to the long history of the McGuire Cup, FC Nova Nationals (ID) is making its own history in the Under-19 Girls age group. Nova Nationals is the first Idaho team to advance to a National final and has a chance to claim the state’s first National Championship on Saturday night.

All of the teams competing in Tulsa earned their place in the National Championships via success in the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series or the US Youth Soccer National League.

Live broadcasts of more than 80 games, daily highlight videos, photos, reports and complete results from the tournament are available on http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/.

A few highlights from Thursday’s matches:

Girls

A 1-1 tie versus in-state rival Carlsbad Elite 99 (CA-S) advanced Albion SC White (CA-S) to the Under-15 Girls semifinal. Albion took quick control of the Region IV Championship semifinal rematch by winning the ball in the middle third and playing it up to midfielder Diamond Quinn who took a hard strike to the back post for the 16th minute lead. The deficit didn’t put Carlsbad down, and in the 57th minute they capitalized on a free kick right outside the 18 yard line. Midfielder Sierra Enge went up to take the kick and slammed the ball into the left side of the net to tie. The final whistle blew and the tie kept Albion in first place in Group A. Now they will face Legends FC 99, another fellow Cal South team, in the knockout round.

Similarly in Under-15 Group A play, Penn Strikers (PA-E) advanced to the semifinal after a 1-1 tie versus Tophat 18 Gold (GA). A swift goal by Emily McNesby put Penn Strikers in the lead just four minutes after the starting whistle. Foward Charlotte Teeter found the equalizer for Tophat in the 44th minute, but the final 1-1 result kept the Strikers in second place and gave them a shot at the semis where they’ll play La Roca Premier PO (UT).

The experience that La Roca Premier PO (UT) got from last year’s National Championships has proved beneficial as the National League team now moves on to Under-15 Girls semifinal after a decisive 5-0 win against Futura Pink Panthers Elite (MO). La Roca dominated the match from the first half with opening goals by Olivia Wade and Sammie Murdock in the 19th and 30th minutes respectively. The Utah scoring was extended with a pair of back-to-back Macy Martinez goals in the 36th and 39th minutes. Wade closed the scoring in the 50th minute with her second goal, getting the Utah side to the semifinal versus Region I champs Penn Strikers (PA-E).

A 1-0 win gave 2013 National Champions Legends FC 99 (CA-S) another shot at the title. Their victory versus Under-15 Girls Solar Chelsea Elite 00 (TX-N) saw a 55th minute tally by forward Emily Knous. The result pushes the Cal South side the Under-15 Girls semifinal where they will face in-state opponent Albion SC White.

A lone goal bumped Tophat 17 Gold (GA) from the running and advanced La Roca FD (UT) to the Under-16 Girls semifinal. Midfielder Mikayla Colohan found the back of the net in the 60th minute to push her undefeated La Roca team on to the semifinal.

Under-16 Girls Futura Academy Forte Elite (MO) advances to the semifinal round after a 2-1 win versus Kings Hammer Academy Red (OH-S). Futura kicked off the match with back-to-back goals by Kayla Deaver and Nina Stine in the 12th and 24th minutes respectively. The 2-0 lead didn’t last long after halftime as Sarah Wampler tried to make a comeback for Kings Hammer by putting them on the board in the 42nd minute. Kings Hammer fought for the equalizer, but the 2-1 result ultimately advanced the Region II Champion on to the next round.

Boys

A 2-1 win over LFSC Geerling White (MO) on Thursday helped San Diego SC 00 Academy Navy (CA-S) finish first in Under-14 Group B and advance to the semifinals. Andrew Miranda put San Diego in front in the 21st minute, and Jose Gomez made it 2-0 shortly after halftime when he found the back of the net. Grant Powell quickly pulled LFSC back within one, but San Diego held on for the remainder of the match to take the 2-1 victory.

Elsewhere in Under-14 Group B action, San Jose Earthquakes PDA 01 (CA-N) held on to tie McLean 00 Green (VA) and take second place in the group. After a scoreless first half, Oscar Govea recorded a key goal for San Jose — which needed just a tie to advance — to give his side some breathing room. That proved to be necessary as Daniel Diaz-Bonilla netted a late equalizer for McLean. However, the Virginia side couldn’t generate a winner in the final minutes, and San Jose held on to claim second place in Group B.

Needing a win to advance out of Under-18 Group B, FC Dallas 97 Premier (TX-N) came through with a 2-0 win over LVSA 97 Red (NV), who had already earned a spot in the semifinals. Dallas created some good early chances and converted in the 18th minute when Kevin Rodas found the back of the net. Ivan Ulloa added a late insurance goal for the North Texas side, as FC Dallas did all it could do to try and advance to the semifinals.

The result in the other Under-18 Group B game between FC Golden State White (CA-S) and defending champion Manhattan SC PSG 96 (NY-E) would dictate who grabbed the second semifinal berth. The game went to halftime scoreless before Ricky Castellanos put FC Golden State in the lead with a 60th-minute strike. The Cal South side managed to see out the game and came away with a 1-0 victory that allowed it to finish second and book a place in the semifinals.

Massapequa Arsenal (NY-E) booked its place in the Under-19 Boys James P. McGuire Cup final with a 2-0 win over GSA 96 Premier (GA). All four Under-19 sides were in contention to advance, and Arsenal made sure to be in position to win when Michael Farese put the New York side up in the 35th minute. GSA pushed for an equalizer, but the Arsenal back line denied the Georgia side from pulling even. Cory Santangelo sealed Arsenal’s win with a last-minute goal, as it came away with the 2-0 shutout victory.

In the other Under-19 matchup, a high-scoring first half helped St. Louis Scott Gallagher (MO) to a 3-1 win over Scottsdale 96 Blackhawks Burke (AZ) — allowing the Missouri side to finish first in the group. Steven May put Scott Gallagher up in the 16th minute before Kaleb Jackson and Justin Stinson pushed the advantage to 3-0 after 41 minutes of play. Scottsdale pulled a goal back seconds later, as David Jackson netted his fourth goal in three games. That’s as close as it got, as Scott Gallagher held on for the 3-1 win. The first matchup between the McGuire Cup finalists saw Scott Gallagher defeat Arsenal, 1-0, on Tuesday.

2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships
Day 3 Results: Group Play Matches

For complete statistics, including goal scorers, please visit http://tournaments.usyouthsoccer.org/events/2015-National-Championships/.

The tournament consists of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the Under-13 through Under-19 Boys and Girls age groups as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the Under-14 through Under-18 Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 96 teams.

Each year brings about new challenges and highlights the motivation and commitment of these youth as they continue pursuing their dreams of being one of the best youth soccer teams in the United States. The National Championships are the final step of the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series and are open to any US Youth Soccer member. The U.S. Soccer Federation initiated the open youth championships with the James P. McGuire Cup (Under-19 Boys), the oldest trophy in youth sport in 1935. Since its creation in 1974, US Youth Soccer has added 13 divisions to the National Championship tournament, with the U-13 Boys and Girls divisions added in 2013 to reach the current format.

Annually, the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series provides the nation’s top collegiate and professional coaches with the premier stage to identify and scout the most coveted players in the country.

Live broadcasts of more than 80 games, daily highlight videos, photos, reports and complete results from the tournament are available on http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/.

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