Twelve teams earn national titles at 2014 NPL Finals
CHARLESTON, S.C. (Via US Club Soccer) – A year’s worth of competition wrapped up Monday with the conclusion of the 2014 NPL Finals, as a dozen teams won national titles. It was a diverse group of champions, as 11 different clubs were represented on the winners’ podium.
The culminating event of the National Premier Leagues (NPL) platform, the 2014 NPL Finals included 125 teams in the U-13 through U-18 boys and girls age groups representing all 17 member leagues. Champions were thoroughly tested en route to their titles. After battling through year-long competition schedules, the NPL Finals, July 10-14 at Bryan Park Soccer Complex in Greensboro, N.C., presented group stages, semifinals and finals.
• VIDEOS: Recap of the 2014 NPL Finals & brief clips from throughout the event
Monday’s NPL Finals national championship game results are listed below:
Boys:
U-13: PDA 2000s (N.J.) PDA 2000s (N.J.) 7, Raiders FC Premier (Ill.) 1
U-14: Real Colorado Athletico (Colo.) Real Colorado Athletico (Colo.) 3, Chicago Magic PSG (Ill.) 1
U-15: BW Gottschee Celtic ’98 (N.Y.) BW Gottschee Celtic ’98 (N.Y.) 2, Sockers FC (Ill.) 1 [BW Gottschee won 5-3 in penalty kicks]
U-16: Connecticut FC United Azul ’97/’98 (Conn.) Connecticut FC United Azul ’97/’98 (Conn.) 2, TSF Academy (N.J.) 1
U-17: Placer United ’97 Gold (Calif.) Placer United ’97 Gold (Calif.) 2, Elite SC Premier Black (Ill.) 0
U-18: Manhattan Paris St. Germain ’95 (N.Y.) Manhattan Paris St. Germain ’95 (N.Y.) 3, Cajun SC Fury ’96 (La.) 0
U-13: FC Salmon Creek Nemesis ’00 White (Wash.) FC Salmon Creek Nemesis ’00 White (Wash.) 2, NEFC Elite (Mass.) 1
U-14: NEFC Elite (Mass.) NEFC Elite (Mass.) 2, ISC Gunners (Wash.) 1
U-15: Tualatin Hills United SC Onyx (Ore.) Tualatin Hills United SC Onyx (Ore.) 3, Carlsbad Elite Zambetti (Calif.) 0
U-16: NJ Stallions Dynamite (N.J.) NJ Stallions Dynamite (N.J.) 1, Rio Rapids ’98 Fury (N.M.) 0
U-17: PDA NPL (N.J.) PDA NPL (N.J.) 1, New York Rush Patriots ’97 (N.Y.) 0
U-18: Match Fit Academy NPL (N.J.) Match Fit Academy NPL (N.J.) 2, Oakwood (Conn.) 0 —
With U-13 boys and U-17 girls titles, PDA – of the Northeast Pre-Academy League – was the only club to win multiple championships at the event. Last year, the U-13 and U-15 boys PDA teams won national titles. One of this year’s U-13 boys players was Hunter Pinho, a goalkeeper who participated in the 2014 id² National Selection International Tour that went undefeated in Italy.
In the U-17 boys bracket, Placer United ’97 Gold earned the title thanks to a dramatic comeback in the semifinal round against Space Coast United, in which it scored in the final minutes of regulation to tie the game at 1 goal apiece, and then scored again in stoppage time to earn a berth in the title match. Placer United went on to defeat Elite SC Premier Black, 2-0, to claim the championship.
Remaining boys champions include: Real Colorado Athletico (U-14), BW Gottschee Celtic ’98 (U-15), Connecticut FC Azul ’97/’98 (U-16) and Manhattan Paris St. Germain ’95 (U-18).
On the girls side, Tualatin Hills United SC Onyx (U-15 girls champion) completed back-to-back national title winning seasons. NEFC Elite had a successful tournament, as the Massachusetts-based club finished runner-up in the U-13 girls bracket and champion of the U-14 girls age group.
The other girls champions include: FC Salmon Creek Nemesis ’00 White (U-13), NJ Stallions Dynamite (U-16) and Match Fit Academy (U-18).
Bryan Park Soccer Complex will continue to play host to US Club Soccer’s national championship competitions later this week when the National Cup XIII Finals comes to Greensboro.
