Champions crowned at US Youth Soccer Region I Championships

SPOTSYLVANIA, Va. (Via US Youth Soccer) – Champions were crowned this week at the 2017 US Youth Soccer Region I (East) Championships at the Publix Virginia Soccer Training Center in Spotsylvania, Virginia.

Regional winners of the 13U through 19/20U age groups earn a berth to the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships to be held July 24-30, at the Toyota Soccer Center in Frisco, Texas.

Beadling SC (PA-W), Loudoun (VA), Baltimore Celtic (MD) and SDFC (NJ) all claimed more than one championship for their club. Of the returning champions, only one, 17U Girls HBC Impact 00 (NY-E) defended their Regional title. With the win, HBC Impact has now won three consecutive Region I Championship titles.

New Jersey claimed four championships, Maryland and Virginia each claimed three, Eastern Pennsylvania and PA West both claimed two with Eastern New York and New York West each claiming one each.

2017 US Youth Soccer Region I Champions

12U Girls:  Loudoun 05 Red (VA)
13U Girls:  SDFC Yellow (NJ)
14U Girls:  SDFC Yellow (NJ)
15U Girls:  Loudoun 02 Red (VA)
16U Girls:  Greater Binghamton FC (NY-W)
17U Girls:  HBC Impact 00 (NY-E)
18U Girls:  Beadling 99 (PA-W)
19/20U Girls:  ASA Coyotes (MD)

12U Boys:  Watchung Hills SA-NJ Elite (NJ)
13U Boys:  Real JFC (NJ)
14U Boys:  Beadling 2003 (PA-W)
15U Boys:  BRYC 02 Elite (VA)
16U Boys:  Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 01 Black Premier (PA-E)
17U Boys:  Baltimore Celtic SC 2000 (MD)
18U Boys:  Baltimore Celtic SC Christos (MD)
19/20U Boys:  Penn Fusion 98 (PA-E)
19/20U Boys: # Dix Hills Elite (NY-E)

# Advances to National Championships as Region I representative. 19/20U Boys Penn Fusion 98 (PA-E) to represent the National League.

“We’re trained and set goals at the beginning of the year to get to the National Championships,” said 14U Boys Beadling 2003 Head Coach Rob Fabean. “Our club has been represented well recently from the girls side and so this is special for our boys.”

“We know the competition will be tremendous and hopefully we will be up to the task of playing aganst the three other best teams in the country.”

Sunday’s winners can now set their sights on the National Championships in Frisco, Texas. Many of them have worked hard to earn the title of Regional I Champions, but they know the level of play will be raised even higher when they join the top 96 teams in the country at the National Championships.

“There is nothing like the level of competition at Nationals,” said HBC Impact Head Coach Billy Carroll. “Its a group of teams that have to win there way in, so these are some of the best in the country. There is no way to prepare for that type of competition. We just have to work hard and do our best to get out of the group.”

The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the 13U through 19/20U Boys and Girls age groups as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the 15U through 19/20U Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 96 teams.

Highlights from all final games…

12U Boys
Watchung Hills SA-NJ Elite (NJ) finish with a perfect record through Regionals after a tight, 2-1, match with Stamford YSL (CT). Watchung took the lead in the 12th minute on with a Serge Ngoma goal but Stamford’s Sebastian Caltenco leveled the score early in the second half. Ngoma played hero for the New Jersey side, scoring the game winning goal just three minutes after. The scoreline held until the final whistle and Watchung claimed the 12U Boys title.

13U Boys
With both Real JFC (NJ) and LMSC Invictus (PA-E) coming into the game undefeated, one would have to leave with its first loss of the tournament. Real FC’s William Clewell got his team off on the right foot when he scored in just the 2nd minute of action. LMSC equalized at 1-1 with Steven Farjardo finding the back of the net midway through the first half. The score remained even through the end of regulation and the teams headed to extra time. Real FC’s Taylor Davidson played hero, scoring the game winner late earning the New Jersey side the 13U Boys title.

14U Boys
Beadling 2003 (PA-W) defeated Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 03 Elite (PA-E) in a tough 14U Boys final match. Beadling set the tone early in the 4th minute on a Chad Eldridge finish. Ethan Sanders scored late in the half and put Beadling up 2-0 going into the half. Austin Marmol increased the lead to 3-0 early in the second half but a flurry of Ukrainian Nationals goals by Thomas Santangelo III and then a long blast by Hayden Grosso cut the gap to 3-2. Jaxon Ervin sealed the championship late for Beadling as he got around a defender on a break and slotted his shot by the keeper.

15U Boys
A goal in the last moments of the game by BRYC 02 Elite’s (VA) Joseph Betts guided his team to the 15U Boys Regional title over DE Rush 02 (DE). BRYC got the first goal of the match in the 17th minute thanks to Jordan McMillen but, just before half, DE Rush’s Oryem Kilama tied the game. With both teams tied deep into second half, Betts’ goal sends BRYC to the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships.

16U Boys
A close 16U Boys final between Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 01 Black Premier (PA-E) and Match Fit Academy FC 2001 Black (NJ) was decided by just one goal. Ukrainian Nationals’ were the benefit of an own goal which helped clinched the Region I Championship victory.

17U Boys
Baltimore Celtic SC 2000 (MD) defeated SOCA Elite 00 (VA) 4-1 to claim the 17U Boys Region I Championships title. SOCA’s leading goal scorer, Daniel Starr (7), got the scoring started in just the 9th minute of play but Celtic came back firing as age group leading goal scorer, Justin Gielen (8), leveled the teams before half. Celtic finished the game with a flurry of goals, scoring three in just nine minutes. Brandon Knapp scored two, with Anthony Dragisics scoring in-between Knapp’s goals to bring the final to 4-1.

18U Boys
Baltimore Celtic SC Christos (MD) will move on to its first US Youth Soccer Nationals after defeating 2016 National Championships finalists Dix Hills Hurricanes (NY-E), 2-0. Both goals came in the second half with both Ian Reger and Samuel Solomon finding the back of the net to guide the Maryland side to victory.

19/20 Boys
Penn Fusion 98 (PA-E) showed the teams at Nationals they’re ready with a 6-0 victory over Dix Hills Elite (NY-E) in the 19/20 Boys final. Penn Fusion used a trio of goals in nine minutes to take a 3-0 lead in the first half. Stach Jaran opened the scoring, with Samuel Brown adding the second and Jaran tacking on his second of the match in the 40th minute. Second half goals from Frank DeRosa, Ramon Gallegos and Quinn Dudek took the final score to 6-0. With the win, Penn Fusion 98 now moves on to compete for the most prized trophy in all of youth sports, the James P. McGuire Cup. Dix Hills will advance to Nationals as the Region I Representative with Dix Hills already qualifying via the US Youth Soccer National League.

12U Girls
Loudoun 05 Red (VA) was crowned Regional Champion as it defeated DE Rush 05 (DE), 4-0, Tuesday in the 12U Girls final. Loudoun pounced early and scored three times in six minutes. Ella Carter scored in the 6th minute, with Viviana Pope scoring just four minutes later. Jordan Sugatan’s goal in the 12th minute gave Loudoun a 3-0 lead heading into half. Viviana Pope scored the game’s final goal just five minutes before the final whistle putting her second in goals scored in the 12U Girls age group with five.

13U Girls
SDFC Yellow (NJ) came back from a two goal deficit to defeat Arlington (VA) 3-2 in the 13U Girls final. Arlington game out on fire, scoring a goal by Amelia Stoller in the 6th minute and age group leading goal scorer Alyssa Kenealy (8) adding to that shortly after. SDFC grabbed some momentum when Mackenzie Albert cut the lead in half in the 21st minute. SDFC’s Angela Nicol did the scoring in the second half, while the defense held up their end. Nicol scored twice, in the 59th and 64th minute to lead her team to victory.

14U Girls
14U Girls SDFC Yellow (NJ) will join its 13U Girls counterparts at the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships after defeating SMS Power (MD), 2-1. Much like the 13U Girls, SDFC went down early when SMS Power’s Helena Lehr gave her team an early advantage in the 6th minute. SDFC tied the match before halftime thanks to a Sydney Mansfield goal and then finished the job in the second half when Lauren Belcuore pushed SDFC to its 2-1 lead.

15U Girls
In a tight game between two stellar Virginia sides, Loudoun 02 Red (VA) earned a, 2-1, victory over Beach FC 02 Red (VA). Beach scored early on an Amalia Harn goal but Loudoun’s Sophia Maltese leveled the score just five minutes later. Elizabeth Hogan scored the game winner in the 20th minute and both teams held level until the final whistle.

16U Girls
Fury Athletica (WV) was looking to become the first team from West Virginia to make it to Nationals but got stopped short of the finish line after a 4-0 defeat to Greater Binghamton FC (NY-W). Binghamton scored three first half goals by Jisela Dall, Emma Bough and Laurel Vargas to earn a large advantage going into halftime. Bough added her second goal in the 60th minute to finish the scoring. With the win, Binghamton will return to Nationals and look to improve on its 2016 finish.

17U Girls
HBC Impact 00 (NY-E) defeated Princeton SA (NJ), 2-1, to claim its third straight Region I Championships title. HBC’s Talani Barnett scored the game’s lone first half goal and Princeton’s Leanna Rebimbas didn’t wait long after halftime to equalize the score. Nicole Scudero scored the game winner in the 76th minute and the HBC defense held off desperate late pushes by Princeton’s attack to claim the victory.

18U Girls
Beadling 99 (PA-W) is headed to the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships after a 2-1 victory over FC Pennsylvania Strikes (PA-E). It took extra time to separate these two great Pennsylvania clubs with the scored tied at 1-1 at the end of regulation. Beadling opened the scoring with a goal by Regan LaVigna and FC Strikers tying the goal late on a Camryn Lexow goal. Beadling claimed the Region I Championship thanks to a late goal by Jessica Frank. Penn Strikers and Beadling will both advance to Nationals with Penn Strikers having qualified via the US Youth Soccer National League.

19/20U Girls
It took kicks from the mark to separate the teams in the 19/20U Girls final between YMS Premier Xplosion 98 (PA-E) and ASA Coyotes (MD). In a battle of two teams that have won US Youth Soccer National Championships titles, it was YMS that scored first. YMS’ Vanessa Alessie opened the scoring but the Coyotes leveled through an Emma Anderson goal. Amanda Wilson gave Coyotes a lead but YMS’ Maddie Elwell tied the game up in the 71st minute. After neither team managed to find a game winner in regulation or extra time, Coyotes bested YMS in kicks from the mark. Even with the loss, YMS will join Coyotes at the 2017 US Youth Soccer National Championships as they have already qualified through the US Youth Soccer National League.