Semifinal matchups set at US Youth Soccer Region I Championships

Preliminary games day 3 of 3 complete
Under-12 Girls Final set

Scores and Standings | Score Alerts | Video

Barboursville, W.Va. (Via US Youth Soccer) – Competition was at its peak on the final day of preliminary play at the 2015 US Youth Soccer Region I Championships as teams battled for a spot in Monday’s semifinal matches.

The Regional Championships carry a tradition as a proving ground, as every team must earn their way into the competition and everyone has to work hard if they want to leave as Regional Champions. No game is an easy match no matter how you qualify for the event. Under-16 Boys Loudoun 98 Red (VA) qualified as Region I Champions League winners in their age-group. Although Loudoun has already qualified for the 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championship via the US Youth Soccer National League Coach Mark Ryan discussed what’s driving his team at this tournament.

“To repeat as Regional Champions is our big goal. Getting to Nationals is great, but that’s not our concern right now. We want to defend this trophy. It’s our trophy right now until we lose, so we want to be here on Tuesday playing for it.

“These boys have been preparing very hard. They’re all coming off their high school season, so these last month’s we’ve been together a lot, working hard. They want to repeat, they know how hard it is to win this trophy twice in a row. We know how hard it is, and we saw firsthand today how many good teams are out there who can beat us for sure if we don’t play our best. If we play like we did today, we definitely won’t win it.”

Notes from a few of today’s games…

Under-16 Boys

Loudoun 98 Red (VA) came into the third day of play having played only one game due to lightning on day one. With a win on their second day of play, they came into their second game with a great chance to seal their spot into the semifinals with a win. Their morning match was against Delaware Rush 98 (DE) who they faced last year in the 2014 Region I Championship final. Loudoun won last year’s matchup 2-0 and looked like they were going to repeat the feat as Stephen Foss put the Virginia side up 1-0 in the 15^th minute of play. Nicolas Short sent in an early cross from the left side and Foss smashed home a header passed the keeper. Delaware took advantage of Loudoun’s inability to close out the game and early in the second half leveled the game off a goal from Tanner Fonjweng. Delaware needing a goal to advance pressed hard for the game winner but couldn’t get the goal they needed.

Loudoun had their destiny in their hands when they played their second game of the day against Black Watch Burlington Academy (VT). The Loudoun side won the game1-0 to win the group and advance to the semifinal tomorrow against Penn Fusion 98 (PA-E).

Under-19 Girls

The Under-19 Girls semifinals are all set as the six teams are now down to four. In today’s action, Beadling SC Thunder (PA-W) and Continental FC Premier 95 (PA-E) brought together the only two undefeated teams left in the age group with neither team having allowed a goal in their first two games. After 90 minutes both teams still haven’t allowed a goal and the game finished a 0-0 draw as both teams finish atop of their respective groups and advance to tomorrow’s semifinals.

In another Under-19 Girls game, MUSC Shox (WV) defeated EPIC Pride (WV) to give themselves a chance to advance to the semifinals. With the results in the other games Pride needed just a tie in today’s game in order to advance to the semifinals but couldn’t defeat the State Champions. With the win, Shox advances and the final team to advance into the semifinals is Vipers SC (MA) who defeated U.S. Parma Liberta (NJ) 4-0 to seal their spot and advance via goal differential over EPIC Pride.

Under-19 Boys

Each year the Under-19 Boys group is special as each team is playing for not only a Regional Championship but the right to advance to the US Youth Soccer National Championships for their chance at winning the most coveted trophy in youth sports, the James. P. McGuire Cup.

Arsenal (NY-E) put their mark on their group, and advance to the semifinals with a 3-0 run through group play. Their final win came today came against South County Blaze (RI) who had a chance to clinch the group if they beat the New York side. Arsenal quickly put any thoughts of that to rest as they scored two goals in the first 11 minutes. Arsenal’s Brendan Gallivan scored in the 8^th minute of play and teammate Michael Farese added a goal in the 11^th. The teams battled it out in the second half but Farese added his second, and final goal of the game, in the 69^th minute.

Tomorrow, Arsenal will face DE Rush Arsenal (DE) while Beachside (CT) will face Annandale United FC Hawks (VA) in the other Under-19 Boys semifinal.

Tomorrow’s final game:

Schedule of tomorrow’s semifinal games:

Regional winners of the Under-13 through Under-19 age groups earn a berth to the 2015 US Youth Soccer National Championships to be played July 21-26, at Mohawk Soccer Complex.