USYS National League Conferences managed by EDP: Week 1 Recap
By Evan Unger, EDPSoccer.com
This past weekend, the USYS National League Conferences managed by EDP kicked off its 13U and 14U Fall 2020 Season.
This begins each team’s journey on the road to the 2021 US Youth Soccer Eastern Regional Championships, this season being held June 25-July 1, 2021 at Tuckahoe Turf Farms in Hammonton, N.J. The first week of conference play featured so many competitive games and set the stage for what will be an exciting season.
USYS New England Conference
In the inaugural weekend of play in the New England Conference, there were several great games played.
In the 14U Boys Premier I Division, two of the top clubs from Connecticut faced off, with Sporting CT 07 defeating CT Rush Elite 07 by the score of 2-0. In another game in the division, Western United Pioneers FC Boys 2007 Elite took on New England Surf State Navy at Lusitano Stadium, one of the most famous soccer stadiums in the region. In a back and forth game, Western United Pioneers came out on top, 3-2.
On the girls side, the 14U Premier I Division saw its first game of the season between Seacoast United Mass South 2007 Elite Girls and New England Surf State Navy. After a tough battle, New England Surf claimed the division’s first victory.
USYS North Atlantic Conference
The first weekend of play saw the first Club vs. Club Division games played in the North Atlantic Conference. At 13U and 14U Boys age groups, Saturday saw AC Connecticut vs. Inter CT, in which AC Connecticut won both matches. NY Hota vs. Brentwood SC met to begin their Club vs. Club Division seasons, and the clubs split the matches, as Brentwood won at 13U and NY Hota at 14U. Easter FC vs. SUSA also saw the clubs split the wins, with SUSA winning at 13U and Eastern FC at 14U. Sunday featured matches between White Plains YS and. NY Elite, and White Plains came away with wins in both games.
In the 13U Boys Premier I Division, Kings Park SC United 2008 White took on Met Oval Academy East 08 on Sunday. Met Oval made a statement in the club’s first North Atlantic Conference game with a 4-2 win.
In the 14U Boys Premier I Division, 2019 Eastern New York State Cup champion Soccer Stars United Gravity traveled to take on Cedar Stars Academy Hudson Valley 2007 NL. Cedar Stars started the season with strong play on both ends to earn a 4-0 shutout victory. On Long Island, SUSA B07 hosted Valencia CF Academy NY 2007 Black at the brand new Orlin & Cohen Sports Complex, with SUSA starting out with a 2-1 victory at its new home facility.
The 13U Girls Premier I Division opened up with Kings Park Fury fall to visiting Auburndale SC Strikers 2008. Meanwhile, FC Somers Lady Hammers defeated Barca Academy Pro NY 2008, 2-1.
The 14U Girls Premier I Division started with two games on Saturday as New York Surf 07 Academy Blue hosted Smithtown Fury and Force FC G2007 hosted Real Ole FC G2007. After the day was done, it was New York Surf and Force FC G2007 sitting at the top of the standings with 3 points each.
USYS Mid Atlantic Conference
The 13U Boys Premier I Division featured several top games over the weekend, including 2019 New Jersey State Cup champion NJ Premier FC 2008 Boys visiting Freehold SL Celtic. NJ Premier picked up where it left off last year, as it started off its season with a 4-2 victory. Sunday afternoon also saw Cedar Stars Academy Newark 2008 NL host PSA National 08 Boys, with PSA National coming away with the 4-1 win. On Saturday, two of Eastern Pennsylvania’s top clubs faced off, as Lehigh Valley United 2008 Boys Black managed to keep a clean sheet in a 2-0 win over Philadelphia Ukrainian Nationals 08 Black.
The 14U Boys Premier I Division saw 2019 Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup champion VSA 1776 Centurions welcome New Jersey side Deptford Premier FC 07, which earned promotion to the Premier I Division after its performance last fall. Deptford FC proved it belonged in the division, as the game ended in a 1-1 tie. The 2019 Eastern Pennsylvania semifinalist, YMS 2007 Premier Blackout, traveled over the Delaware River to take on PDA Hibernian Scholes, and PDA earned a 3-0 win. Both squads who reached the 2019 New Jersey State Cup finals were in action over the weekend, with finalist NJ Premier FC 2007 Boys visiting NJ Stallions Academy 07 Real, while champion SC Vistula Garfield 2007 Lewandowski visited Cedar Stars Academy Newark 2007. Both NJ Premier FC and SC Vistula Garfield won their respective first matches in commanding fashion to start off what looks to be another strong season for the teams.
The 13U Girls Premier I Division kicked off Saturday with Wall Elite Chelsea hosting Cedar Stars Academy Staten Island. Wall Elite’s possession-oriented style got the best of Cedar Stars, with Wall Elite winning a tight game, 1-0. On Sunday, back-to-back New Jersey State Cup champion Torpedoes SC Red traveled to the Jersey Shore to take on Toms River Futbol Lady Strikers, with Torpedoes SC returning home with a 4-0 win. Sunday also saw 2019 New Jersey State Cup semifinalist Cinnaminson SC Union host Dynamite Academy WSC 2008G, with the home side proving to be too much to handle and winning the match, 4-0.
The 14U Girls Premier I Division saw 2019 Eastern Pennsylvania State Cup finalist Philadelphia SC Coppa 07 in the first game of the weekend, when the side took on Match Fit Academy FC Girls Shore. The two teams were able to score one goal apiece as the first game in the division ended as a 1-1 draw. On Sunday, 2019 New Jersey State Cup finalist Torpedoes SC hosted CSA Bergen 07 National, while 2019 New Jersey State Cup semifinalist PSA National welcomed conference newcomer Manhattan SC Sporting 07 NPL. Torpedoes SC and PSA National each came out on top in their respective match ups.
USYS South Atlantic Conference
The opening weekend saw several fantastic games played in the South Atlantic Conference.
In the 13U Boys Premier I Division, Old Line Football Attack hosted Bethesda SC Blue 08 at Cedar Lane Regional Park. In a high-scoring affair, Old Line managed to outscore Bethesda SC, 4-2, to come out victorious.
In the 14U Premier Boys I Division, Penn FC Youth M Black traveled south to take on the 2019 Maryland State Cup finalist Potomac Blue 07, and the sides played to a 1-1 tie. At Overlea High School Turf Field, BRAUSA United 07 secured a 5-1 victory over Player Progression Academy.
In the 13U Girls Premier I Division, SYC Pride 08 Blue traveled into Maryland to take on Baltimore Celtic SC Shamrocks, with both defenses having strong showings. Neither side managed to break through, as the game ended in a scoreless draw in what was one of many competitive games this past weekend in the age group.
The 14U Girls Premier I Division also featured several top match-ups, with 2019 Maryland State Cup champion and USYS Eastern Regional Championships semifinalist SAC/BA Pre Academy taking on Eagle FC from Eastern Pennsylvania on Saturday afternoon. The two sides were very well matched, and Eagle FC created the lone goal to come away with a 1-0 win. On Sunday, 2019 Maryland State Cup semifinalist OPSA Magic hosted Coppermine SC Girls 2007 Premier. Neither team managed to break the deadlock, and the game ended in a 0-0 draw.
