2014 US Youth Soccer Region I Championships kickoff with a bang

Kingston, R.I.  (Via US Youth Soccer) – The first day of round robin play kicked off at the 2014 US Youth Soccer Region I Championships today at the University of Rhode Island in the town of Kingston, R.I.

[ +READ: 82 of 96 teams punch tickets to 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships in Germantown, Md.]

The Region I Championships feature top teams in the Under-12 through Under-19 age groups and began on June 26, with opening ceremonies at Meade Stadium in Kingston, R.I. Round robin games take place today through Sunday, June 29, with semifinal matches Monday, June 30. The regional champions will be crowned following final games on Tuesday, July 1.

US Youth Soccer State Champions and select wildcards in the U-12 through U-19 Boys and Girls age groups from 15 state associations, including host Soccer Rhode Island, are participating in the event.
Notes from today’s games of 6 of the 12 returning 2013 US Youth Soccer Region I Champions…

Under-13 Boys

PDA Donovan (NJ) looked to start their regional title defense off strong on the first day of play at the Region I Championships. Baltimore Celtic Dynasty 00 (MD) had a different idea as they pressured the PDA side high and hard from the opening whistle. Despite the back and forth neither team was able to break the deadlock at half. The second half was much of the same. Baltimore Celtic Dynasty kept up the high pressure and in the last 5 minutes of the game finally got their goal. Reese Mayer put a free kick in that was flicked on. The ball bounced around and landed to Logan Stevens who calmly tapped the ball into the bottom left corner. Baltimore Celtic Dynasty fended off PDA’s late push and ended the game with a 1-0 win.

Under-15 Girls

Defending regional champions, and 2013 national finalists, YMS Premier 98 Xplosion (PA-E) started their regional title defense off against Far Post SC Premier (VT). The first half was back and forth with each team struggling to find the back of the net. Xplosion couldn’t be contained in the second half and grabbed their first goal with a superb strike by Muphy Agnew who blasted a shot from the top of the box that found the top right corner. Agnew scored again after finding a blocked shot back at her feet. Agnew’s follow-up shot found the underside of the crossbar and ended up in the back of the net to make the score 2-0. Just one minute later Brie Pavol found her shot slip through the Far Post keeper’s hands to bring the final score to 3-0.

Under-18 Girls

Southeast SC SSC 95/96 (CT) held defending regional champions Beadling SC Thunder (PA-W) to a stalemate in the opening half. Neither team could capitalize on their chances until the 55^th minute when Margaret Scott scored for Beadling. In the 67^th minute Amber Fichter found teammate Ashley Mutkus with a beautiful cross. Mutkus headed it home to extend Beadling’s lead and to help start their regional title defense on the right foot.

Under-17 Girls

Toms River FC United (NJ) came to the 2014 Region I Championships ready to play against Mountain State Soccer Club Pride (WV). Nicole Logan started off the scoring just six minutes in. Corrine Dengel added the second goal and Alyssa Morgan added the third on a tap-in. Carly Wilhelm joined in on the scoring after receiving a beautiful through ball and slotting it home to make the score 4-0. The second half started with a Mountain State Soccer Club Pride own goal to make the score 5-0. Carly Wilhelm added her second, Kaitlyn Galgano joined in on the scoring and Nicole Logan added a second of her own to make the final score 8-0.

Under-17 Boys

Smithtown Kickers SC Arsenal (NY-E) are not only defending regional champions but also were the 2013 Under-16 US Youth Soccer National Champions.  They faced some tough first half opposition in Severna Park Fever (MD) who kept Smithtown to only one first half goal. Harrison Weilbacher found himself as the recipient of a ball coming across the top of the 18 yard box and buried his shot in bottom right of the goal to open the scoring. Tough defense kept the score line close in the second half but a TJ Butzke through ball split the Severna Park defense and found Weilbacher for his second goal of the game. Weilbacher wasn’t just scoring, he whipped in a beautiful cross in the 70^th minute to teammate Beau Hornberger for a header to make the score 3-0. Severna Park wouldn’t go down without a fight and pulled one back in the waning moments of the game with an Adam Schaeffer goal to make the final score 3-1.

Under-19 Girls

Defending regional champions CFC United (CT) have a tough road to defending their regional title after losing to Smithtown Kickers SC Spirit (NY-E) 0-2 in their opening game of the Region I Championships. Spirit’s Danielle Valente got on the end of a long ball and beat two defenders in a foot chase to get 1-on-1 with the United keeper. Valente’s shot got through the hands of the keeper to put the score 1-0. Alexa Orlando added a late insurance goal for Spirit and then some great team defense helped keep the final score to 2-0 for the Eastern New York team.

Regional winners of the Under-13 through Under-19 age groups earn a berth to the 2014 US Youth Soccer National Championships, presented by the National Guard, to be played July 22-27, at 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.

Scores from Day One: