USSDA Boys East Conference Recap: October 7-8, 2017

Many U.S. Soccer Boys’ Development Academy East Conference clubs were in action over Columbus Day Weekend. Continue reading for a look at which teams were in top form in the U-15, U-15/16 and U-17/18 age groups.

+Full U.S. Soccer Boys’ DA Standings

U-15

Bethesda SC notched a pair of shutout victories, improving to 5-2-1 on the season. On Saturday, Ethan Fraser recorded a brace and Jose Ortega netted one goal in a 3-0 road win over Virginia Development Academy, as goalkeeper Luca Ulrich and the back line kept VDA off the scoreboard. Ulrich and the defense earned their second consecutive clean sheet on Sunday in a dominant 5-0 win at home over New Jersey’s Cedar Stars Academy – Bergen. Five different players found the net in the win for Bethesda’s high-powered attack.

Baltimore Armour split a pair of games over the weekend, rebounding from a 1-0 loss to Cedar Stars Academy – Bergen with a 3-1 win over VDA on Sunday afternoon. Cedar Stars’ Nicholas Kaloukian netted the game-winner in the 52nd minute of Saturday’s contest, while goalkeeper Gabriel Schwartz recorded the clean sheet in net. On Sunday, Baltimore’s Toshi Davis, Joel Brown and Foday Bangura spotted Armour with a 3-0 lead by the 45th minute, putting the game well out of reach as the team picked up its first win of the season.

Elsewhere in Atlantic Division play, Pennsylvania sides PA Classics and Continental FC secured one-goal wins over PDA and Cedar Stars Academy – Monmouth.

+READ: U.S. Soccer Boys Development Academy East Conference September Recap

In the Northeast Division, FC Greater Boston Bolts outlasted New York SC 5-3 in a high-scoring affair on Saturday afternoon. Triton Beauvois had a second half hat trick and Brett Ghelfi recorded a brace in the win for Boston while three different players found the net for New York SC.

It took the whole @FCBolts U15 @ussoccer_acad team to come back from 3-1 down in the 62nd min. to win 5-3 vs. @NewYork_SC #GoalkeepersUnion pic.twitter.com/NwucUs8ibX

— Mark Doogue (@DoogueMan) October 8, 2017

On Sunday, Northeast Division sides FC Westchester Armour and Beachside SC played to a scoreless draw, while BW Gottschee stormed past Seacoast United 4-1. Paolo Primavera continued his strong season with a brace, as  Orick Briscoe and Luigi Prosperi also provided first half goals for Gottschee.

Southeast Division sides Weston FC, Boca United FC, North Carolina Fusion, Kendall SC and Charlotte Soccer Academy each picked up three points on Saturday. Kendall SC highlighted the weekend with a 5-0 rout of Chargers SC, as five players found the net and the defense notched its first shutout the season. Francisco Mederos recorded the clean sheet in net as defenders Gabriel Bringas, Camilo Gallego, Alessandro Mercia and Alexander Voigt each played the full 80 minutes.

U-16/17

Atlantic Division sides Bethesda SC and Virginia Development Academy played to a thrilling 1-1 draw on Saturday evening at Howison Park. VDA’s Kenny Robles put the home team on top in the 52nd minute following a scoreless first half, but Bethesda broke through in the 90th minute with an equalizer from Uriel Zeitz.

PA Classics and PDA also drew 1-1 on Saturday, as Aiden Weaver (15′) provided the scoring for Classics and Randy Arronis netted a 51st minute equalizer for PDA.

On Sunday, Continental FC DELCO and Baltimore Armour earned 3-2 road wins against Cedar Stars Academy – Monmouth and VDA, respectively. Three players scored for Continental FC, while Baltimore Armour was led by a brace from Peter Mangione and another strike from Danique Parker. All three of Baltimore’s goals came in the opening 21 minutes of the game.

FC Westchester Armour, Oakwood SC and BW Gottschee Academy emerged as winners in Northeast Division competition, all securing multiple-goal victories on Saturday afternoon. Westchester received goals from Marco Lanza and Eddy Vargas while also benefiting from a Beachside SC own goal in a 3-1 win. Oakwood SC’s Evan Southern converted a pair of penalty kicks as goalkeeper Justin Figueiredo recorded the clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Empire United. Gottschee piled on three second half goals, highlighted by a brace from Jonathan Ford, in a 4-1 rout of Seacoast United.

+READ: U.S. Soccer Girls Development Academy East Conference September Recap

In Southeast Division play, Carolina Rapids took all six available points, edging out in-state foe NC Fusion 3-2 on Saturday before shutting out Georgia’s United Futbol Academy 2-0 on Sunday. Despite a first half brace by NC Fusion’s Cameron Kerr, the Rapids attack battled back with three unanswered goals all by different players, capped off by Jonathan Nyandjo‘s game-winner in the 68th minute. The Rapids improved 3-3-1 on the season.

Armada FC Pro Academy, Chargers SC, IMG Academy and United Futbol Academy also each earned a win over the weekend in the Southeast Division. Armada FC goalkeepers Brandon Stam and Cameron Braswell combined for the clean sheet while defenders Harrison DuParq, Alexander Smith and Herbert Steigelman all played the full 90 minutes in a 1-0 result against Weston FC.

Three players – Nicholas Colacci (42′), Mason Judge (45′) and William Shuchart (68′) – scored for Chargers SC in a 3-0 shutout of in-state opponent Kendall SC. In another all-Florida match-up, a 35th minute goal by Logan Brown proved to be all IMG Academy needed in a 1-0 win over Boca United FC.

Georgia’s United Futbol Academy piled on four goals in the second half, two from Gavin Green and two from Miguel Ramirez in a 4-2 win over Charlotte Soccer Academy.

U-18/19

U.S. Youth National Team goalkeeper Hunter Pinho and the PDA back line recorded their first shutout of the young season on Sunday in a 1-0 road victory over PA Classics, with an own goal by the home side proving to be the difference in the defensive battle.

A fourth minute strike by James McCombs, a 48th minute score by Valentino Ambrosio and a pair of second half goals by Michael Lin highlighted a 4-3 win for Cedar Stars Academy – Monmouth at home against Continental FC DELCO. It was a neck-and-neck battle throughout, as DELCO’s Maxwell Graham netted two goals and Andrew Taber netted one to keep the match even at 3-3 prior to Lin’s game winner in the 58th minute.

Beachside SC, Seacoast United and Oakwood SC each secured one-goal victories in the three Northeast Division matches of the weekend. David Saturno‘s 39th minute goal and a clean sheet effort by the defense propelled Beachside SC in a 1-0 result against FC Westchester Armour. Seacoast United outlasted BW Gottschee Academy 1-0, using a 30th minute goal from Tyler Faria and a shutout by goalkeeper Georges Elkhoury and the back line.

+READ: USA takes control of Group A with 1-0 win over Ghana at U-17 World Cup

Oakwood SC blanked Empire United 2-0 for a road win, receiving goals from Chris Roman and Simon Becher. Goalkeeper Mitchell Kastilahn notched the clean sheet as defenders Nicholas Benjamin, Chris Roman and Sloan Sullivan all played the full 90 minutes.

Southeast Division competition on Saturday saw Kendall SC blank Chargers SC 1-0, NC Fusion storm past Carolina Rapids 5-0 and Boca United FC edge IMG Academy 2-1 in a trio of in-state matches.

Felipe Baptista scored the game-winner for Kendall SC in the 42nd minute, while goalkeeper Abdiel Martinez and the back line held strong for the team’s first shutout of the season. Defenders Daniel Arizmendi, Gabriel Ortiz and Angel Sobalvarro each went the full 90.

NC Fusion’s Jack Edwards recorded a brace in the second half to cap off the scoring after Jim Lugo-Cruz (15′), Riley Copeland (22′) and Aaron Guerra (55′) spotted the team a comfortable lead against Carolina Rapids. Goalkeeper Remy Brezeault and Fusion’s back line led the team to its first shutout of the 2017-2018 campaign.

Boca United’s Alexandre Guichard netted a 63rd minute equalizer and the team benefited from an IMG Academy own goal in the 90th minute en route to their first win of the season.