2014 US Youth Soccer Semifinal Matches Set at the 2014 US Youth Soccer Region II Championships
After three days of preliminary games, the semifinalists are set for the 2014 US Youth Soccer Region II (Midwest) Championships at the John Ankeney Soccer Complex in Beavercreek, Ohio. Of the 216 Boys and Girls teams participating, 56 teams in the Under-13 through Under-19 age groups will continue on their pursuit to become a US Youth Soccer National Champion.
The 2014 US Youth Soccer Region II (Midwest) Championships kicked off last Saturday at John Ankeney Soccer Complex in Beavercreek, Ohio. Teams comprised of State champions, US Youth Soccer Midwest Regional League champions, and select wildcards, commenced day one with hopes of advancing to knockout rounds, and ultimately, to the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Germantown, Md.
The 216 US Youth Soccer Boys and Girls teams participating represent 14 State Associations – host Ohio South Youth Soccer Association, and Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio North, South Dakota and Wisconsin.
Five returning champions are still in the running – Under-16 Girls Ambassadors FC (OH-N), Under-17 Girls NSA Jaguars (IL), Under-19 Girls Team Chicago Academy Botafogo (IL), Under-15 Boys Michigan Wolves (MI), and Under-18 Boys Cup Gold (OH-S). Eight local Ohio South teams remain – U-14 Boys OP Green, U-16 Boys OP Eagles Green, U-17 Boys Classics Eagles 96/97 Red, U-18 Boys CUP Gold 95/96, U-13 Girls CUP Gold 00-01, U-14 Girls Cleveland FC, U-16 Girls KHA Red, and U-19 Girls OP Eclipse. Only 14 teams will move on to the finals on Wednesday, June 25.
The nearly 4,000 players participating in the tournament – from 14 US Youth Soccer State Associations – not only get the opportunity to play competitive soccer against top teams in the Midwest, but also get the chance to expose their talents in front of more nearly 200 college coaches in attendance.
“You see players play as many times as you possibly can, but seeing them in this environment is good because the competition level is pretty good,” said David Madsen, assistant coach of women’s soccer at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee. “There are good players in this Region, and a lot of players on our team are regional based so I feel like we’ll find a lot of success finding players here. I think it’s still the game but it’s a little bit of something extra to it so I think it kind of prepares for a next level experience when you’re moving on to college.”
Regional winners will earn a berth to the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by the National Guard, July 22-27, at the Maryland SoccerPlex in Germantown, Md. The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist 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.
Daily reports and complete results from the tournament are available on http://championships.usyouthsoccer.org/regionii. Follow the moments from the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series on Twitter and share the moments with us on Instagram and Facebook.
Match Highlights:
Undefeated under-13 Girls team Michigan Hawks move on to semifinals after defeating North Shore United Blue (WI) 5-1. Ashley Armstrong shot the first goal of the match, and gave the Hawks an early lead in the 9th minute. Madison Krzisnik and Kaya Frazier followed with two additional first half goals as well. In the second half, Frazier put the Hawks up 4-0 in the 47th minute with her second goal of the match. Charmaine Dee put North Shore on the board in the 65th minute, but Bria Telemaque got the final say for Michigan in the 68th minute. Michigan Hawks face fellow State Association team Michigan Jaguars Green (MI) in tomorrow’s U-13 Girls semifinal.
Under-14 Boys team Sporting KC Academy (KS) moves on to knockout rounds after defeating Milwaukee Bavarians (WI) 1-0 in their final preliminary game. Sporting KC hopes to maintain their undefeated streak, and shutout streak, as they play against OP Green 1 (OH-S) in Tuesday’s semifinal.
Under-15 Girls team Lou Fusz – Wipke (MO) got a 3-0 win against DASC Black (SD). Hailey Schuel scored swiftly for Lou Fusz in the first minute of play. Holly Jones scored a first half goal in the 25th minute, and Lauryn Kunz made it 3-0 in the 66th minute. With their third straight win in round robin matches, and a clean slate in goals scored against them, Lou Fusz – Wipke moves on to face SC Waukesha blue-1 (WI) in semifinals.
OP Eagles Green (OH-S) did it again, defeating under-16 Boys Sporting BV Schalke (KS) 4-0. Emmanuel Dapaa got a pair of goals for OP Eagles in the 38th and 49th minutes. Cole Heilman and Kingsley Amoakohene added two more to the lead in the second half. OP Eagles head to tomorrow’s semifinal match against Javanon 98 Black (KY) undefeated.
Iowa Rush Nike (IA) beat team Kings Hammer Academy (OH-S) 4-0 and got their third straight shutout in Regionals. Meg Brandt got a quick goal for Iowa in the 3rd minute, and Kaleigh Haus notched a hat trick with goals in the 21st, 40th and 82nd minutes. They’ll face opponent NSA Jaguars (IL) in the Under-17 Girls semifinal.
Under-18 Boys team Waza FC East 96 Jrs. (MI) boast an impressive 22 goals at the end of round robin play. They have only conceded one goal, after today’s 4-1 victory against Milwaukee Bavarians (WI), which featured a Robert Longo hat trick. Longo opened the scoring for Waza speedily in the 3rd minute. Waza FC’s Matthew Gross added to the lead in the 9th minute, and Longo got another in the 20th minute before halftime. David Loffredo broke Waza’s shutout streak in the 47th minute, and Robert Longo finished the match scoring a third goal in the 85th minute for a 4-1 Waza win. Waza FC aims to continue their undefeated streak in tomorrow’s semifinal match against Westside United Green 96 (IN).
Under-19 Girls team OP Eclipse (OH-S) defeated Michigan Hawks 95 (MI) 4-1 for their third straight win. They face Lou Fusz Wipke (MO) in Tuesday’s semifinal match.
Follow the moments from the US Youth Soccer National Championship Series on Twitter and share the moments with us on Facebook and Instagram.
