Champions decided at US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup

TULSA, Okla. (Via US Youth Soccer) –  After four days of play, champion teams were decided Sunday at the 2016 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup finals in Tulsa, Okla.

The winning teams were among 40 participating US Youth Soccer Boys and Girls teams in the Under-13 through Under-17 age groups that came from all over the country to compete for a national title.

The Under-15 Boys Players Elite AP (NV) earned their second consecutive National Presidents Cup title with a 3-2 win over Kearny Reds (NJ). With a 2-2 tie at the end of regulation and overtime, the game was decided during kicks from the mark.

Region IV teams took home seven titles with winners from Cal South, Nevada and Utah. Region III had two champions from Texas North and South Texas, Region II was represented by one champion team from Indiana and Region I was represented by one from Eastern Pennsylvania. In addition, MVP, Sportsmanship, and Goalie awards were presented and winners will be posted by Wednesday, July 20.

Highlights from Championship Matches:

Under-13 Girls: SBW Alliance (IL) 0-1 (PK) Hawks Academy (CA-S)
SBW Alliance (IL) and Hawks Academy (CA-S) battled for a full 70 minutes and two 10-minute overtime periods, but the Under-13 Girls final match remained scoreless and eventually led to kicks from the mark. Hawks Academy outscored SBW Alliance, 2-0 during the kicks from the mark for a 1-0 overall victory.

Under-14 Girls: Pateadores Irvine White (CA-S) 1-2 NUU 01 Wave (PA-E)
NUU 01 Wave (PA-E) came back from a 1-0 deficit against Pateadores Irving White (CA-S) to win the Under-14 Girls championship match, 2-1. Madison Ortega scored for Pateadores when a free kick was taken and the ball landed in front of her to drive into the goal. In the second half, NUU tied up the match with a goal from Gracia Eckenrode, and the game winning goal came when Paige Temple bent the ball in directly from a corner kick in the final minutes of the match.

Under-15 Girls: West Coast FC Murphy (CA-S) 1-0 FC United Select 2 (IL)
After enduring a 1-1 tie in Saturday’s preliminary game, the Under-15 Girls final match between West Coast FC Murphy (CA-S) and FC United Select 2 (IL) went into overtime with yet another tie at 0-0 in regulation time. The match was just about to go to kicks from the mark, but at the last second, West Coast FC earned a penalty. Meagan Rowlett stepped up to the mark and finished the game winning goal for a 1-0 victory and to win the National Presidents Cup for the Under-15 Girls age group.

Under-16 Girls: California Elite Soccer Club Black (CA-S) 3-0 FWSC 00 Academy – Strikers (IN)
California Elite Soccer Club Black (CA-S) finished the first half of the Under-16 Girls final match against FWSC 00 Academy – Strikers (IN) with three goals in their favor. Kaitlyn Briones started the team off with a goal in the 12th minute. Four minutes later, Isabella Viana made it a 2-0 advantage. Natalie Horton topped off the game with the final goal in the 34th minute. California Elite did not allow any goals in the second half, making it a 3-0 shutout for the National Presidents Cup victory.

Under-17 Girls: FC Warriors Blue 99 (NV) 0-3 Dynamo STX Academy (TX-S)
In the Under-17 Girls final, FC Warriors Blue 99 (NV) and Dynamo STX Academy (TX-S) fought to a scoreless first half. After conceding to FC Warriors, 4-0 in Thursday’s preliminary game, Dynamo came out fighting and hungry for goals in the second half as Andrea Reyes gave the team a goal in the 56th minute. The score remained at 1-0 until Dynamo’s Ava Alaniz curled the ball around the FC Warriors goalkeeper with her right foot to increase their lead.Two minutes later, Alaniz finished the ball again inside the 18-yard box to seal the 3-0 victory and earn the National Presidents Cup title.

Under-13 Boys: CYSASL La Laja (CA-S) 4-3 02 CASL Juniors Red South (NC)
The Under-13 Boys final consisted a goal-chasing game between CYSASL La Laja (CA-S) and 02 CASL Juniors Red South (NC), but La Laja came out on top, 4-3 in the end. Erick Serrano started La Laja off with two goals in the first half, and CASL’s Christopher Steg kept it a close game as he scored in the 25th minute for a 2-1 halftime score. Seconds after the second half whistle blew, Mario Cadena ran onto a pass, facing the CASL keeper in a one-on-one battle, and slotted the ball past him to increase La Laja’s lead to 3-1. CASL did not stop fighting as Kishan R Patel scored a goal, cutting into La Laja’s lead and making it a 3-2 game. Cadena helped give La Laja some breathing room as he received a pass, turned and touched the ball past the goalkeeper, and blasted the ball to the upper left corner of the net. When La Laja thought they were in the clear, CASL’s Jacob Zaas scored a late goal to keep themselves within reach. CASL continued to push forward for the equalizer, but La Laja held them off for the 4-3 victory and the Under-13 Boys National Presidents Cup title.

Under-14 Boys: Superior SC Aztecas 02 (TX-N) 2-1 Bloomfield Cheetah Thunder (NJ)
After a scoreless first half between Superior SC Aztecas 02 (TX-N) and Bloomfield Cheetah Thunder (NJ), the goal-scoring action came in the second when Bloomfield’s Marco Colasurdo took a shot, which deflected off of a Superior SC player and into the goal. Eight minutes later, Superior SC instantly responded as Nicholas Quevedo took a free kick from the half line, and the ball bounced over the Bloomfield goalkeeper head and into the goal. The winning goal came from Jarrett Parga of Superior SC as he received a bouncing ball, dribbled the ball into the 18-yard box, and placed it on the ground into the net. Superior SC claimed the 2-1 victory and ultimately the Under-14 Boys National Presidents Cup title.

Under-15 Boys: Players Elite AP (NV) 3-2 (PK) Kearny Reds (NJ)
The first half of the Under-15 final match between Players Elite AP (NV) and Kearny Red (NJ) consisted of a load of action as the half resulted in a 2-2 tie. Players Elite earned a 2-0 lead as Gabriel Sanchez scored in the 24th minute, and David Herrera finished a goal two minutes later. Determined to get back into the game, Kearny Reds cut into Players Elite’s lead when a scramble in the 18-yard box ensued with the ball bouncing around, and Manuel Gomez eventually pushed the ball over the goal line. Kearny Reds’ Jose David Escandon tied up the match as he drove a shot from the top of the 18-yard box late in the first half. After a scoreless second half and two rounds of overtime, the match went into kicks from the mark. Players Elite defeated Kearny Reds, 4-2 during kicks from the mark for a 3-2 overall victory and to win their second consecutive National Presidents Cup title.

Under-16 Boys: 99 FSC Force Premier (NC) 0-1 Boilers FC Gold (IN)
Boilers FC Gold (IN) only needed one early goal to claim the Under-16 Boys National Presidents Cup title. The goal came from Mohamed Ayad in the ninth minute. The second half consisted of a scramble as 99 FSC Force Premier (NC) fought for the equalizer. FSC Force thought they had tied up the match when the ball bounced in the 18-yard box for a while and the ball appeared to land in the goal, but the referee called the shot back. Boilers FC stayed defensively strong and held the 1-0 lead for the victory.

Under-17 Boys: Rampage 99 Black SC/TL (UT) 3-1 The Soccer Pit Cobras (FL)
Rampage 99 Black SC/TL (UT) held the advantage over The Soccer Pit Cobras (FL) at halftime with a 1-0 lead after a goal from Cameron Tayrien. The Soccer Pit Cobras came back in the first minute of the second half with a goal from Kensley Jn Baptiste to even up the match at 1-1. The goal came off of a set piece, which deflected off of the Rampage goalkeeper. At the end of the full 90 minutes, the game remained tied at 1-1 and went to overtime. The match did not remain tied for long as Rampage’s Alec Ferrin scored in the first overtime period after the ball was knocked around and then slotted into the back of the net. In the second overtime, the ball was passed into the 18-yard box for Tayrien to volley with one touch into the goal, sealing a 3-1 win and the Under-17 National Presidents Cup title.