US Youth Soccer Region II Presidents Cup: Day 1 recap

ST. CHARLES, Mo. (June 11, 2015) – The 2015 US Youth Soccer Region II Presidents Cup commenced play on Thursday at the SLYSA Soccer Complex in St. Charles, Mo. Boys and Girls teams from US Youth Soccer Region II (Midwest) will compete from June 11-14 in hopes of advancing to the 2015 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup.

The tournament will feature 80 US Youth Soccer teams in the Under-13 through Under-17 age groups competing for a regional title and a berth to the 2015 US Youth Soccer National Presidents Cup, July 9-12 in Overland Park, Kan.

Preliminary games will take place from Thursday, June 11 through Saturday, June 13. Regional champions will be crowned following final matches on Sunday, June 14.

Missouri Youth Soccer Association will host the event, and the other State Associations represented include Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, North Dakota, Ohio-North, Ohio-South, South Dakota and Wisconsin.

The US Youth Soccer Presidents Cup offers teams the challenge of experiencing different types of play by competing from state to regional to national levels. The Presidents Cup provides teams with a progressive, competitive experience that highlights competition, camaraderie and community

Match Highlights:

Under-13 Boys: Kirkwood United – Buchek (MO) 2–3 Goshen Stars 01/02 Boys (IN)
Goshen Stars 01/02 (IN) kicked off the tournament with a win, defeating U-13 Boys Kirkwood United – Buchek (MO) 3-2. Jacob Hicks put Kirkwood United on the board just two minutes after the starting whistle. Goshen Stars’ Eduardo Rodriguez retaliated in the 31^st minute, tying the match at halftime. Goshen Stars came back strong for the second half, and produced two goals by Chris Lozano and Emylio Romo in the 55^th and 69^th minutes respectively. Devin Corley scored for Kirkwood immediately afterward in the 70^th minute, but as time expired, Kirkwood could not find the equalizer ultimately giving the Indiana side the win.

Under-14 Girls: KHSC Mossinger (KY) 0–1 NWC Alliance Black 00 (OH-S)
A first-half Merdith Blommel goal gave U-14 Girls NWC Alliance Black 00 (OH-S) a 1-0 win versus KHSC Mossinger (KY). Blommel found the back of the net in the 24^th minute, and NWC Alliance maintained a strong backline to preserve the shutout for the remainder of the match.

Under-15 Boys: PAO FC 99/00 – GREEN (KY) 2–3 Missouri Rush – Nero (MO)
Missouri Rush – Nero (MO) earned three points after their U-15 Boys opening match, defeating PAO FC 99/00 – Green (KY) 3-2. Ryan Nevins gave Missouri Rush a good start, scoring back-to-back goals in the 9^th and 54^th minutes. Trevor Massa put PAO FC on the board a minute after in the 55^th minute, but the momentum shifted back to Missouri Rush when Dominick Smith scored in the 71^st minute. PAO FC tried to make a comeback with Seth Strader’s 79^th minute goal, but the final whistle lent Missouri Rush the victory.

Under-16 Girls: Missouri Rush SC Nero-Menendez (MO) 2–1 Classics Eagles Black (OH-S)
Missouri Rush SC Nero-Menendez (MO) came back from a 1-0 deficit and beat U-16 Girls Classics Eagles Black (OH-S) 2-1 on opening day. Emerson Woerner’s 18^th minute goal gave Classics Eagles Black a 1-0 lead at the half. Morgan Weller tied the match for Missouri Rush in the 61^st minute, and Kirsten Lepping found the game winner in the 73^rd minute.

Under-17 Boys: Windy City Pride 65 (IL) 0–3 Millennium Soccer Academy 98B Black (IN)
Millennium Soccer Academy 98 Black (IN) got a 3-0 shutout versus Windy City Pride 65 (IL). The U-17 Boys match saw two first-half goals by Fernando Barajas and Ryan Miles in the 10^th and 38^th minutes, and a second-half goal in the 81^st minute by James Ohm moments before the game’s conclusion.

Scores: