US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships – Day 3 Recap

Preliminary Games, Day 3 of 3
Schedule, Standings and Scores 

Eastern Regional Championships Website | Day 3 Photos
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WEST VIRGINIA (June 30, 2019) — Following three days of group play, quarterfinal and semifinal match-ups have been set at the 2019 US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships on Sunday in West Virginia.

The seven-day event, which takes place June 28-July 4, features 12U through 19U Boys and Girls teams at the Shawnee Sports Complex and Barboursville Soccer Complex.

Quarterfinal match-ups for groups of 20 will take place Monday, July 1, and groups of 16 will resume play with semifinal match-ups on Tuesday, July 2. Knockout round games will all take place at the Shawnee Sports Complex.

West Virginia Youth Soccer Association is hosting the event alongside 14 other East Region State Associations including Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Eastern New York, New York West, Eastern Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania West, Rhode Island, Vermont, and Virginia.

Three years off a Regional final appearance, FC Alliance Athletica (WV) finds itself in the semifinals after going undefeated in group play.

“This experience has meant a lot,” said FC Alliance Athletica head coach Theo Egbele. “Three years ago, the girls made it to the finals, and we have been working to get back there. It is an amazing accomplishment by the girls who have worked hard to get to this point. The group stage is over and now we have to get ready for the semifinals. We will be ready for the challenge.”

A few notes from Sunday’s games:

12U Girls
Penn Fusion Pre-Academy (PA-E) finished group play with a, 4-1, victory over SDA Utica (NY-E). Five minutes into the first half, Isabelle Allredput Penn Fusion ahead with a goal, and Nina Cantor extended the lead to two goals just eight minutes later. The deficit was cut to one as SDA’s Juliana DelPico scored in the 46th minute. Four minutes later, Madelyn Smith put Penn Fusion ahead by two and then Grace Hodges got the ball past the keeper to increase the Eastern Pennsylvania side’s advantage to three. Penn Fusion won Group D with an undefeated record to earn a spot in the semifinals.

13U Boys
In a tightly contested match, LIPFC (NY-E) pulled out a, 3-2, win against DE FC (DE). Steven Vargas put LIPFC ahead with a goal in the 13th minute and extended its lead to two goals with a goal from Norvin Martinez, seven minutes later. Within the next three minutes, Oscar Capilla Tlaxcalteco cut DE FC’s deficit to one. Noah Cokey netted the equalizer in the 55th minute for DE FC, but the tie lasted only five minutes as Vargas scored the game winning goal for LIPFC. With the win, LIPFC remains undefeated in group play and advances to the quarterfinals.

14U Boys
STA (NJ) claimed a semifinals spot with a, 2-0, shutout against Syracuse Development Academy (NY-W). After a scoreless first half, STA found its way on the scoreboard with a goal in the 52nd minute from Valentino Della Grazia. STA doubled its lead in the 70th minute when Daniel Farberov shot one beyond the goalkeeper. STA held on to its two-goal lead and finishes group play with a 2-0-1 record, finishing in first place in Group D.

15U Girls
FC Revolution Dynamo (PA-E) recorded a, 5-0, shutout against RVSC Select Riot (WV) on day three. Ella Kardos scored the first goal of the day for FC Revolution in the 18th minute to put them up, 1-0. Taylor Mentzer‘s goal in the 47th minute put FC Revolution up by two goals and was followed by a goal from Ryleigh Cook. Eight minutes later, Mentzer scored her second of the day and then completed her hat trick just two minutes later for FC Revolution’s fifth goal of the day. FC Revolution advances to the semifinals with the win, after going 2-1-0 in group play.

16U Boys
After finishing day three with a, 1-1, draw against Shoreline FC Porto (CT), TSF Academy 03 Blue (NJ) forced a kicks from the mark tiebreaker for a chance to advance to the quarterfinals. Colin Marment put Shoreline ahead in the final minute of the first half after both teams struggled to find the back of the net. The lead did not last long as Karsen Reed scored seven minutes into the second half to level the score. Following 80 minutes of action, the teams ended in a, 1-1, draw. The result left both TSF and ASA Pre Academy 03 (VA) with a group play record of 1-0-2 and, after being tied in all tiebreakers, the teams went to kicks from the mark. TSF outlasted ASA from the spot to earn the victory and advances to the quarterfinals.

17U Boys
PSA Elite (NJ) secured a semifinals berth after a, 4-1, win against Levittown Gunners FC (NY-E). A goal from Luke Morolda, seven minutes into the game, gave PSA the early lead, but it was short lived as Stephen Brown scored the equalizer for Levittown three minutes later. Jake Stump scored in the 28th minute as PSA took a one goal lead to halftime. Conlan Paventi scored in the 69th minute to give PSA an insurance goal and then Stump’s second goal of the day added to the advantage. PSA finishes first in Group D following the win and earns a spot in the semifinals.

18U Girls
FC Alliance Athletica (WV) capped off a 3-0-0 group play performance with a, 4-1, victory against Black Watch 2001 (NY-E). Following a slow start, FC Alliance kept control when a corner kick in the 15th minute led to a header to the back of the net by Ashton Mckane, giving FC Alliance a one goal lead. The lead was extended to two goals 15 minutes later as Stephanie Chmiel knocked a header beyond the goalkeeper off another corner kick. Rhea Kijowski tapped one past the goalkeeper in the 58th minute to put FC Alliance up, 3-0. Six minutes later, the fourth goal of the game for FC Alliance came from Ariana Christiansen off a rebound. Black Watch cut the deficit to three in the 89th minute with a goal from Shannon Cepiel, but it was too late as FC Alliance earned the win and a spot in the semifinals.

19U Girls
Princeton SA (NJ) topped WVFC Black (WV), 5-2, to move on to the 19U Girls semifinals. Princeton took an early two goal lead as Julia Eichenbaum scored in just the second and eighth minutes of the game. The lead was extended to three in the 22nd minute by Mary Clare Langan and then Eichenbaum completed her hat trick just three minutes into the second half. Just four minutes later, Eichenbaum netted her fourth of the day as Princeton extended its lead to five. WVFC pulled one back when Caroline Mullen scored and began to put late pressure on the New Jersey side. Mackenzie Gillispie brought WVFC within three when she scored in the 75th minute but Princeton held until the final whistle and finishes 2-0-0 in group play to top Group A.

Regional winners of the 13U through 19U age groups earn a berth to the 2019 US Youth Soccer National Championships, which will be played July 22-28 at the Overland Park Soccer Complex in Overland Park, Kan.

The US Youth Soccer National Championships will consist of US Youth Soccer Regional Champions in the 13U through 19U Boys and Girls age groups, as well as the US Youth Soccer National League qualifiers in the 14U through 19U Boys and Girls age groups to complete the field of 104 teams.