US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Day 2 Recap
Day 2 of 4
Schedules, Scores & Standings | Photos
Age groups: 2001/2002 | 2003 | 200
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Via US Youth Soccer) — The annual US Youth Soccer Olympic Development Program (US Youth Soccer ODP) Girls Thanksgiving Interregional continued Tuesday in Boca Raton, Fla., as teams in the 2003 and 2005 age groups competed on the second day of play.
The four-day event, which takes place Nov. 19-22 at Spanish River Athletic Park, features the teams in the 2001/2002 through 2005 age groups comprised of the top female players in the country.
The nearly 300 participating players were selected from US Youth Soccer State Association and Regional level evaluations. Throughout the week, players will attend training sessions and compete in matches against other Regions, in front of U.S. Soccer national staff and collegiate coaches to maximize their exposure for selection to the next level of play.
Some notes from Day 2:
2003s
West vs South | 0-3
South continued its offensive prowess as it matched up against the West Region team on day two. Despite some stalwart defensive efforts by the West defensive line including, Ah Soon Caly and Jourdyn Curran, the South struck first in the 15th minute. Pia Beaulieu added her third goal of the event as she headed in a cross by Lauren Montgomery who had beat a defender up the left flank. West’s first half keeper, Breanna Norris, made a big save to keep her team down just one. The West offense couldn’t power by the South defense as Allison Bollig and company locked down the back as the South offensive kept clicking. Olivia Lebdaoiui scored her third of the event before Isabel Kimberly finished the scoring. South had a chance to tack on another goal late but a marvelous recovery run by Degen Miller thwarted the effort.
+READ: US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Day 1 Recap
Midwest vs East | 1-2
The Midwest and East 2003 teams could not break the deadlock in the first half as Midwest’s Kennedy Hudson and East’s Jaya Daniel’s held clean sheets through the first half for their respective teams. The game came alive in the second half as Molly O’Regan was played in behind the East defense. O’Regan scooped her shot beyond the onrushing keeper to give Midwest a 1-0 lead. East leveled the score seven minutes later as Leah Iglesias broke down the right flank. Iglesias stayed on her feet through a defenders challenge and played a beautiful ball to the backpost to Erin Flurey for the goal. South took the lead thanks to a fine finish by Amanda Graziano and kept the lead thanks to their second half goalkeeper Morgan Wood. The Midwest team had a great chance to level on a 1v1 break but Wood saved the close range effort to keep her team in the lead.
2005s
West vs South | 2-0
The West Region 2005 Girls rebounded from a day one loss with a 2-0 victory over the South Region team. A great solo effort by Wests’ Samantha Smith was the lone goal in the first half as the West saw a penalty shot hit the post and fall to the keeper. West kept pushing in the second half and a lot of the action went up the left flank thanks to the great play of Tatum Short. Short created multiple chances early in the second half with crosses but no one uptop could find the end of the balls into the box. Short almost created a goal of her own midway through the second shot but saw her ball towards goal deflect off the far post and get covered up by Atlee Olofson. Olofson made her best save of the game with a one handed save over the bar on a looping shot. West finally extended its lead after a ball into the box was played back across goal to Mia Casey who finished from close range for the 2-0 lead.
Midwest vs East | 0-4
The East Region earned a comprehensive 4-0 win over the Midwest 2005 team with a great all around team effort. The pressure by the East’s offense lef to the first goal as Kate Alexander dispossessed a defender with high pressure and then finished near post. The East added a second almost immediately as Wrianna Hudson added her third goal of the event as she sliped by the onrushing keeper and then placed a shot into the back of the net. Midwest’s Abigail Raynor shook off the first two goals to make a huge save on a blast by East’s Hudson to keep her team in the game. The Midwest couldn’t break through the East defense partly because of some great defensive work by Emerson Grafton which made East goalkeepers, Amara Codd and Adriana Ruiz, have a much easier workload on the night. The East finally got another break through as Alexander added her second of the game with a great solo effort. Despite the first half score, Natalia Colin, Lily Patterson and the rest of the Midwest defense did their best to give their team a fighting chance thwarting multiple good opportunities. East’s Lilly Short added the lone goal of the second half in the 61st minute to bring the final score to 4-0.
