US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Day 3 Recap
Day 3 of 6
Schedules, Scores & Standings
Age groups: 2000/2001 | 2002 |
BOCA RATON, Fla. (Via US Youth Soccer) — The annual US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional continued Tuesday in Boca Raton, Florida, as teams in the 2003 and 2004 age groups competed on the third day of play.
The six-day event, which will take place Nov. 19-24 at Spanish River Athletic Park and Florida Atlantic University, will feature the teams in the 2000-2004 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.
+READ: US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Day 1 Recap
Kendall Killian helped guide her 2003 West team to a 2-1 win today. Killian is enjoying the chance to play in front of all the college coaches and U.S. Soccer scouts as she is looking into the future where she dreams of playing at the National level.
“Playing in front of college coaches here at ODP is motivation and pushes you as a player on the field,” said Killian. “While there may be nerves about it beforehand and excitement, once you get on the field,you don’t have time for that and just have to perform.
“Every game you challenge yourself to be the best and that’s just what you have to do and that’s how you showcase yourself to all these college coaches. At the end of the day, it’s just your as a player out on the field with your team.”
Highlights from Day 3:
2003s | South 4, Midwest 0
The 2003 South team never looked back after finally getting on the scoreboard after 31 minutes of play. Alyssa White notched the first goal, hitting a shot from outside of the box passed the keeper. South’s Lindsay Bell did her part making some key saves to keep her team’s clean sheet during the first half, including a close range chance from Midwest’s Sophia Balistreri. South had a chance to increase its lead late when Olivia Lebdaoui got through on goal but Madison Kragt made a great sliding stop. Helen Gutierrez and Emma Campbell did a good job in the back during the second half by keeping Midwest’s best chance to an opportunity outside of the box from distance that hit the crossbar. Lebdaoui got her goal quickly in the second half and then Isabel Kimberly added the third. South kept pressing and an own goal gave it the final 4-0 scoreline.
2003s | West 2, East 1
West defeated East, 2-1, to earn its second straight victory. West had a great chance in the first half that saw a headed ball off a corner bang off the crossbar, deflect off the East keeper, but fall just wide of the goal. Olivia Garcia scored close range to open the scoring for the West, but East’s Myla McLeod leveled the score. McLeod received a pass, cut across the box with her right foot, got around a defender and boomed her shot left-side. West grabbed the winner as Garcia broke down the left side and played a cross into the box. Garcia’s cross was nodded down by Taylor Martin and then finished into the upper corner at close range by Raelyn Yoshioka.
+READ: US Youth Soccer ODP Girls Thanksgiving Interregional Day 2 Recap
2004s | West 0, East 1
The game’s lone second half goal was enough to give East a 1-0 victory over West. The first great chance of the game came in the first half as a through ball found Maya McDermott but a sliding save by Taygen Sill kept East off the scoreboard. West had a dangerous chance as Sierra Pennock broke down the flank and hit a hard cross through the box but none of the West players could get a finishing touch on it. McDermott kept pestering the West backline into the second half making life difficult for defenders. West’s Jordyn Brown was up to McDermott’s close range chance making a save to keep the score at 0-0. East finally broke the deadlock as Talia Sommer made spectacular pass that split the West defenders and found Sophie Castro in on goal. Castro made no mistakes in finishing her chance, sliding her opportunity beyond Brown. Brown made a couple of more saves to keep her team in the game, but West didn’t find the tying goal and the game finished 1-0.
2004s | South 4, Midwest 0
The 2004 South team matched their 2003 counterparts’ scoreline from earlier in the day, defeating its Midwest opponents, 4-0. South’s Kathleen Zailski scored in just the 8th minute of the match giving her side an early lead. Isabella Pecunes made it 2-0 just after the start of the second half, floating a cross at a tight angle that sailed over the keeper and into the net. In the 49th minute, Jordynn Dudley got beyond the defense to increase the lead to 3-0 and to earn herself a goal on her birthday. Alexis Washington scored the fourth and final goal of the game. South’s defense in the second half, marshalled by Lena Dykes and Ashlyn Fernandez, did a great job at limiting any good opportunities for East on net.
